Recipe 28: Spicy Red Pepper Soup (Πικάντικη Σούπα Κόκκινης Πιπεριάς)

After making the Red Pepper and Goat's Cheese soup I became hooked on the texture and taste red peppers give to soups. So I found this recipe on Jamie Oliver's website and decided to try it. It'll go down well with people who prefer a spicier and lower fat alternative to the Red Pepper and Goat's Cheese soup.

Ingredients (serves 4):

3 red bell peppers, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium potato, chopped, peeled and diced

1 cup of pureed tomatoes

600ml vegetable stock (click here for recipe)

half a cup of single cream

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 small red chilli, finely chopped

2 tsps smoked paprika

olive oil

salt and pepper to season

1) Add a couple of dashes of olive oil to a large saucepan. Gently fry the onion, garlic and chilli for about 5 minutes, before adding the chopped peppers.

2) Fry the mixture over a low heat for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are nice and soft.

3) Add the smoked paprika, along with the cubed potatoes and fry for another minute or so.

4) Pour in the pureed tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil, then simmer the soup gently for about 15 minutes.

5) Liquidise the soup until it's smooth and silky. Add the cream and salt/pepper to taste.

6) Reheat a little if necessary.

Note: You can also serve this soup ice-cold, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.