Roasted Tomato and Poblano Soup - Vegetarian Gourmet

Roasting the tomatoes before processing them in the soup brings out their natural sweetness and bold flavours. This is a great soup to make in summer when you can buy big boxes of fresh tomatoes in the farmer’s markets for very little money. In this version of the soup I added poblano peppers for a touch of earthy heat. This soup is a real winner!

• Rating:   5
• Prep.:  20 min
• Serves: 4
• Cook Time:  40min

Ingredients

• 5 Large Fresh Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 Poblano Peppers, roughly chopped

  2 Poblano Peppers, roughly chopped

  Poblano peppers have a really beautiful flavor, somewhere between a green pepper and a jalapenos. They are very mild chili peppers, but they do have a nice kick to them! They are grown mostly in Mexico and are usually sold in farmer's markets in late summer. They can be either red or green.
  
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped roughly
• 1 Red Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Oregano
• 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Cups Vegetable Stock or Water
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C).
2. Place the tomatoes, poblanos, onions, garlic and oregano on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper as well as the vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix well. Try to spread out in a single layer. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are roasted and slightly charred.
3. Place the cooked tomato mixture into a blender with 2 cups of water or vegetable stock. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
4. The soup can be served directly from the blender or you can transfer it to a pot on the stove to heat up.