Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

 Ingredients:

1 pound roughly chopped red bell peppers
1 pound plum tomatoes
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
11/2 cups water or Liver Rescue Broth (recipe below)
Fresh basil, to serve

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Add the chopped peppers, tomatoes, diced onion, garlic, celery, thyme, and red pepper flakes (if desired) to the baking dish. Mix well. Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and tender.

Remove from the oven and add to a blender together with the water or Liver Rescue Broth. Blend until smooth. Pour into a pot and heat until simmering. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Tip:
When choosing between water and Liver Rescue Broth for the ingredients, keep in mind that the broth will produce a richer flavor. Store-bought vegetable stock isn’t called for because it’s very difficult to find a variety that’s free from oil, salt, natural flavors, and/or other additives. For convenience, make a batch of Liver Rescue Broth in advance and freeze it (consider ice cube trays for easy thawing) so you have it on hand for recipes like these.

LIVER RESCUE BROTH

Makes 2 to 4 servings

This broth is warming liquid gold that you can sip all day long. Sometimes it can seem like a lot of effort to make broth, especially when you’re looking at all those beautiful vegetable scraps that get left over at the end. This recipe contains a bonus coconut curry recipe that you can make out of those leftovers so everything gets put to use. Check it out in the Tips. As an alternative, you can blend the broth with the vegetables for a pureed soup.

1 bunch celery, diced

6 carrots, diced

1 winter squash (such as butternut), cubed

2 yellow onions, diced

1 inch ginger root, peeled and minced

1 inch turmeric root, peeled and minced

1 cup peeled and sliced burdock root

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

6 garlic cloves, peeled

12 cups water

Place all the ingredients in a large stock pot.

Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Strain and enjoy as a warm, nourishing broth any time of the day.

This recipe may also be enjoyed as a chunky vegetable soup by leaving the vegetables whole within the broth.

Make a large batch of this broth and freeze the leftovers for use throughout the week. Try freezing the broth in an ice cube tray for easy thawing later.

After the broth is strained away, use the leftover veggies to make an indulgent curry soup to share with loved ones. Just return the pot to the heat and stir in 2 cups of coconut milk, 2 teaspoons of yellow curry powder, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Cook until everything is warmed through and combined, and then use an immersion blender to partially blend the veggies and make a thick, yellow curry soup. Enjoy!