Last Tuesday I made Spanish pepper and tomato soup. It is the first dish I have made taken from my slow cooker recipe book. It is a warm a comforting creation.

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

pinch of dried chilli flakes

pinch of paprika

6 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

3 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1.4 L (2 1/2 pints) hot vegetable stock

85G (3OZ) feta cheese, crumbled, to serve

Methods

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper, add the celery, garlic and carrot, and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir through the chilli flakes and paprika and cook for a minute, then add peppers and tomatoes. Cook on a very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring so they don’t stick. Pour in half of the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover with the lid, and cook on a low heat for 45 – 60 minutes, topping up with the reserved stock as the cooking liquid reduces.
3. Use a stick blende to blend the soup until smooth, or transfer in batches to a liquidiser and blend. Add a ladleful of hot water if it is too thick. Pour the soup in a clean pan, taste and season as needed, and heat through. Serve with a little feta cheese on top, if using, together with some crusty bread on the side.

The Slow Cook Book, Heather Whinney, page 51