Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup (Vegan)

Here's this delicious soup served up with whole grain sourdough
toast spread with Vegan Pimento Cheese and
topped with homegrown sprouts and a local tomato. 
The grapes top off the meal with a sweet touch.

Recipe from Julia Maiten 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I actually didn’t have Roma tomatoes for this, but I did have lots of smallish tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and this soup turned out beautifully.  There’s very little active time to making this soup.  Just pop the tomatoes, garlic and the peppers in the oven to roast and then when they’re done, mix in the rest of the ingredients, heat and then blend until smooth.  Be sure to use a good quality balsamic vinegar.  It will make the soup sing!

Ingredients:
6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
½ head of garlic, peeled, cloves left whole (I used a whole head of garlic.)
2 red bell peppers, sliced
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil (I used 2 Tablespoons.)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon sugar
salt and black pepper, to taste
water, as needed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, red peppers and shallots to a large baking dish or sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and add the balsamic vinegar, oregano and salt. Toss everything well until evenly coated.
Roast for 60 minutes, stirring everything once halfway through, until the vegetables are soft, caramelized and slightly charred around the edges.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large pot and add the canned tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if the soup is too thick.
Blend until completely smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender. Add more water until you reach your preferred consistency, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
Serve hot with crusty bread or Vegan Pimento Cheese Sandwich.