It’s Ekadashi yet again and I have decided to religiously publish some exciting food that we can enjoy on our fasting days:)
Hopefully this will give people incentive to feast oops I meant fast more often;)
I’ve been feeling a little under the weather since Thursday – I think it must be the sudden drop in temperature in Joburg! Yes, summer is officially over! I thought I’d warm myself up with this absolutely delicious roast pepper and tomato soup. It is so good, I would even make this on a non-fast day, and enjoy it with some croutons or warm buttered bread:D I think I will repeat this some time next week!
My FAVOURITE long Pimento peppers are something that I can’t do without anymore. The flavour they lend to any dish is so sweet, deep and also a bit fiery. Don’t worry too much if you can’t get your hands on these – you can use yellow or red peppers, or anything similar:) The trick is to roast them – it’s what releases the deep flavours within.
I really enjoyed flavouring this soup with the basil and chilli from my garden. It is SUCH a pleasure to be able to snip ingredients from my mother’s little herb and vegetable garden. I really wish to cultivate the skill of gardening soon!
I couldn’t resist photographing my quirky little scissors that I use for snipping herbs in the garden. I got them from Melissas in Cape Town for a mere R10.00 !
Preperation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Pimento peppers ( or any other red, or yellow peppers that you can get your hands on)
8-12 ripe tomatoes
2-4 fresh chillis
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black cumin ( shahi jeera )
a handful of basil leaves
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
*A dollop of creme fraiche
Method:
Chop the peppers into large chunks. Halve the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Make sure that the edgers of the peppers are slightly charred, and that the tomatoes are oozing and their skins slightly dehydrated. I have to admit that I popped mine into my Philips Air Fryer for about 15 minutes at the same temperature) – probably one of the BEST gadgets I have ever purchased. It saves me so much time, and not to mention – oil! If you are using a normal oven, try switching to “Grill” mode for the last 5-7 minutes of roasting, to help with the charring.
Chuck into a blender and aim to achieve a smooth puree. Heat the olive oil and add the cumin. Follow with basil once the cumin is sizzling in the oil. Now it’s time to add the puree…maybe even come some aside, and use the thick, rich puree as a dip, pasta sauce or sandwich spread!
Add salt, pepper and a knob of butter if you wish! Add two cups of warm water and stir continously until the soup comes to the boil.
Check your seasoning and adjust if required.
Serve HOT with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream, and garnish with a sprig of basil. Enjoy!
Table Studio 