Tomato-Pepper Soup with Clementine and Celery

Despite the fact we recently had a few warm days; the weather has changed to a bit colder again, so a warm soup came to mind. However, since it’s really not that cold, I’ve decided to skip the heavier wintry soups, and make a lighter vegetables based soup.

One of my favorites of these is tomato soup, which I make often, with plenty of variations. In the one here, I’ve added onion, celery and peppers to the tomatoes, along with a fragrant whole clementine, which added another layer of acidity and sweetness to the soup. The spices and honey that were added to this mix, imparted their own unique flavors and aroma as well. The result is this velvety, heartwarming yet light soup, which is simply perfect for the current weather. Try it and enjoy.

Makes: 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled, roughly chopped

2 inner celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 cups mini peppers, deseeded, roughly chopped

1 can (14.1 oz/400 grams) finely chopped tomatoes

1 Tbs tomato paste

3 cups water

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground four peppers mix

¼ tsp hot paprika

½ tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp honey

1 seedless clementine, cut in half

For garnish:

Thinly sliced mini peppers

Celery leaves

1. In a large pot, mix the oil, onion, celery and garlic. Sauté over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Add the peppers, mix and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pot partially. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the peppers are very soft.
3. Using a hand blender, blend to a coarse texture. Strain to a smooth soup, and discard the pulp.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm, garnished with sliced mini peppers and celery leaves.