Red Pepper And Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• ¼ onion, chopped
• 30g/1oz butter
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 50ml/2fl oz white wine
• 200ml/7fl oz water, boiling
• 1 tbsp yoghurt

For the croutons:

• 2 slices bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g/1oz butter
• 1tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Method

1. Heat the butter in a pan and add the onion, garlic and red pepper.
2. Cook for 3 minutes to soften.
3. Add the tomato puree, thyme, chicken stock cube, white wine and water.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Purée using a handheld blender.
6. Put into a bowl and garnish with a swirl of yoghurt and croutons.
7. Dice the bread into cubes.
8. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over the thyme.
9. Put the diced bread onto a baking tray and cook in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Alternatively, fry in a pan with some butter for 8 minutes.