summer/spring 2016

TOMATO and RED PEPPER SOUP

HEAT THE OIL IN A LARGE POT OVER MEDIUM HEAT. Add the onions, fennel, celery, red pepper, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the fresh tomatoes, return to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the tomato juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and serve hot with a dollop of the eggplant caviar.

FOR THE EGGPLANT CAVIAR: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a small pairing knife, make a 3-inch incision in the middle of one large eggplant. Stuff one clove of smashed garlic into the incision and roast the eggplant in the oven on a cookie sheet until the flesh is soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until it is cool enough to handle but still warm. Remove the smashed garlic clove and peel away the skin leaving just the flesh from the inside. In a small saucepan set to medium heat, cook the eggplant flesh until the excess moisture has evaporated. Season with salt.

SERVES 4 TO 5

FOR THE SOUP:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup sliced onion

1/4 cup sliced fennel

1/4 cup sliced celery

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Pinch of hot pepper flakes

3 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups ripe tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup tomato juice

Pinch of sugar

Salt and freshly ground white pepper