I often roast Romano red peppers and aubergine with no particular end in view. Both are useful for so many dishes and here they combine in soup, liquidized with a few slightly too squashy cherry tomatoes, a spoonful of nutty tahini and chicken stock. A square of feta cheese brings incredible creamy richness to this Greek-influenced soup that went down very well with toast loaded with slices of feta scorched under the grill.
Serves 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
4 small or 2 large Romano (pointed) peppers
2 aubergine, approx 250g each
olive oil
10 squashy cherry tomatoes
1 dsp tahini/sesame paste, optional
25g Greek feta
750ml chicken or vegetable stock
squeeze of lemon
Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Place the peppers on a foil-lined, shallow roasting tin. Quarter the aubergine lengthways, smear the cut surface with olive oil and place on a second foil-lined roasting tin. Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the peppers are blistered and soft, the aubergine, golden and buttery soft. Place the peppers on a plate and cover with a stretch of clingfilm, leave 10 minutes, then remove the skin, split lengthways and swipe away the pips. Scrape the aubergine flesh off the skin. Place peppers, aubergine, tomato, sesame paste if using, 750ml stock and crumbled feta. Blitz until fluffy and smooth. Pass through a sieve (to catch stray pepper pips) into a saucepan. Heat through and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon. Enjoy now or later.