draft4–6 bowls

Roasted Tomato, Pepper & Butter Soup

Roasted tomatoes, red pepper, onions, and garlic blended into a glossy, butter-finished soup. Serve with cast-iron-toasted sourdough and optional goat yogurt, olive oil, black pepper, herbs, or hard goat cheese.

Ingredients

Roasted vegetables

tomatoeshalved; alternatively about 80–100 cherry tomatoes, left whole About 8–10 medium
red bell peppercut into large piecesUse judgment 0.5–1 pepper
onionscut into wedges 2 medium
garlicpeeled or left in skins for roasting 5–6 cloves
olive oil 3 tbsp
salt 1.5 tsp
black pepper 0.5 tsp
paprika 1 tsp
cuminoptionalUse judgment 0.5 tsp
thyme or rosemarya few thyme sprigs, or a little rosemary; optionalUse judgment See note

Soup

olive oil or butterfor frying tomato paste 1 tbsp
tomato pasteoptional 1 tbsp
white wineoptionalUse judgment 80–120 ml
stock or waterstart with 500 ml; homemade meat stock may be diluted with waterUse judgment 500–700 ml
butter 30–40 g
saltadd after blending only as neededUse judgment 0.5–1 tsp
lemonjuiced; optional small squeezeUse judgment See note

Equipment

oven
roasting tray
5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven
immersion blender

Instructions

Heat the oven to 220°C fan or 230°C conventional.
Spread on a roasting tray:
- about 8–10 medium tomatoes
- 0.5-1 red bell pepper
- 2 medium onions
- 5-6 garlic cloves
Toss with:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- optional 0.5 tsp cumin
- optional thyme or rosemary
Roast for 35-45 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed, the onion edges are browned, and some dark roasted spots have developed. If the tray is very watery, continue roasting to concentrate the vegetables.
Set the 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil or butter and optional 1 tbsp tomato paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly.
If using wine, add 80-120 ml white wine, scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven, and let it reduce for 1-2 minutes.
If the garlic was roasted in its skins, squeeze out the cloves and discard the skins. Add all roasted vegetables and their tray juices to the Dutch oven. Add 500 ml stock or water to start. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Add up to another 200 ml stock or water later if a thinner soup is desired.
Turn off the heat and blend directly in the Dutch oven with an immersion blender. Blend mostly smooth for a rustic texture, or blend thoroughly and optionally strain for a finer soup.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and stir in 30-40 g butter until melted and glossy. Taste and add 0.5-1 tsp additional salt only as needed. Add an optional small squeeze of lemon juice if the soup needs brightness. Thin with additional stock or water if needed. Warm gently without boiling hard after adding the butter.

Success cues

Roasted tomatoes are collapsed and concentrated rather than merely softened.
Onion edges and some tomato surfaces have browned or lightly charred spots.
Finished soup is smooth or rustic-smooth, glossy from the butter, and thick enough to coat a spoon without feeling pasty.
Flavor balances concentrated tomato sweetness, roasted savory notes, acidity, and butter richness.

Scaling notes

Produce counts marked “about” are approximate; adjust for size.

Keep vegetables spread out for roasting; use additional trays as needed rather than scaling the roasting time.
Begin with 500 ml stock or water and add up to another 200 ml for texture. Adjust the 80–120 ml optional wine, 0.5–1 pepper, herbs, and final seasoning by judgment.
The additional 0.5–1 tsp salt is conditional after blending; omit it if the soup is already sufficiently seasoned.

Storage

Refrigerate cooled soup in a covered container; no storage duration was established in the conversation.

Substitutions

Use water instead of stock.
Use rosemary instead of thyme.
Omit cumin, tomato paste, wine, lemon juice, and garnishes if desired.

Development notes

Uncooked draft. Verify tomato variety, pepper and herb quantities, final liquid and seasoning, and bowl yield.
Stovetop finishing is preferred. For unusually watery soup, the export also discussed an optional post-blending oven reduction at 170°C for 20–30 minutes; this variation remains untested.