Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Soup is one of the most comforting food on a cold wintry night. Several months ago, I tried the Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper soup among the many others and I have been hooked to it ever since. I liked the flavors although it is a bit sweet for my taste buds. I tried to replicate the soup as much as I could but with a little bit of heat added to it. The verdict... I liked my soup much better than Trader Joe's. Give it a try...

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper 
3-4 whole fire roasted red pepper, finely chopped 
2 tbsp butter or olive oil (I used butter)
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:

In a stock pot, melt butter and add the onions and sauté for 4-5 mins. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté for 2 mins until raw smell goes away. 

Add the crushed tomatoes, roasted red peppers (I used store-bought), water, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20-25 mins until the vegetables are tender and the flavors blend together. Adjust the seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if required. 

Add half-and-half and puree using a hand held immersion blender until smooth.  Allow the soup to boil for 2-3 mins. You can garnish the soup with chopped basil (optional). Serve hot.

Makes 5-6 servings.