It is supposed to be summer here in Sydney but it’s been cool the last few days and raining so I thought soup is in order and boy does this one have some flavour.  You’ll need:

For the soup

8 small to medium tomatoes – very ripe – cut in half

2 red capsicums – medium size – cut into quarters

2 cloves of garlic

1 large brown onion cut into quarters

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 cups of chicken stock (homemade if possible – see my previous recipe)*

½ cup of water

Sprinkle of dried thyme

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

For the Gremolata

Small bunch of parsley

1 lemon

1 garlic glove

To make the soup: place tomatoes cut side up on baking tray lined with baking paper, add capsicum, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with the olive oil.  Bake for ½ hour in a 200 degree oven.

Bring stock to the boil with tomato paste and water – add baked vegetables and juices on tray (remove garlic skin before adding).  Simmer for ½ hour over medium heat.  Blend, sprinkle with gremolata.

To make the gremolata: remove all stalks from parsley, chop finely, using a microplane grate skin of whole lemon and the garlic clove, mix together and you are ready to go.  Use immediately or within 24 hours stored in the fridge.

*If you’d like this to be a vegetarian dish just use vegetable stock

Serves 4 – 130 calories per serve