Green Pepper & Tomato Soup
Submitted by wdwine
Green pepper and tomato soup with a mortar-pounded garlic-herb paste, saffron, and rice stirred in at the end. A Provencal-style vegetable soup with Parmesan garnish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minA mortar-pounded paste of garlic, basil, parsley, thyme, paprika, and tomato paste forms the aromatic backbone of this tomato soup, giving it a Provençal depth that a simple sauté of chopped herbs can’t match.
Pounding the garlic with salt first breaks it into a smooth paste that absorbs the herbs and spices evenly. Working the basil, parsley, thyme, and paprika into that paste before it hits the oil means every ingredient is fully integrated. When this paste goes into warm olive oil, it blooms instantly, filling the kitchen with a fragrance that lets you know the soup is going to be good.
Saffron sprinkled directly over the onion is a technique borrowed from Mediterranean cooking. The threads release their color and flavor into the onion’s moisture as it softens over 10 minutes, distributing that golden hue and floral bitterness through the entire pot.
Two pounds of fresh ripe tomatoes with their juice and chopped green bell peppers simmer for just 25 minutes. That’s enough to soften everything without cooking the vegetables into a featureless puree. The rice is cooked separately and stirred in at the end, so each grain stays distinct and adds body without clouding the broth.
Kitchen Tips
- Use a mortar and pestle for the garlic-herb paste. A food processor chops rather than pounds, and you lose the emulsified texture that makes this base special.
- Seed the tomatoes but save every drop of juice. That juice is concentrated tomato flavor that the soup needs.
- Cook the rice separately to avoid it turning starchy and thickening the soup into something gummy.
Variations
- Roasted pepper version: Char the green peppers over a flame or under a broiler first for a smokier, sweeter soup.
- Spicy kick: Add a pinch of cayenne to the garlic paste for warmth that builds through the whole bowl.
Ingredients
Directions
Pound the garlic in a mortar with 1 teaspoon salt.
Pound garlic until is has broken down to a paste, then gradually work in the basil, parsley, thyme, paprika and tomato paste.
Warm the oil in a soup pot, add the garlic-herb paste and mix together.
As soon as the oil is hot, add the bay leaves and the onion.
Sprinkle the saffron directly over the onion, stir everything together and cook for 10 minutes or until the onion has softened.
Add the pepper, tomatoes, their juice and the water to the pot.
Bring to a boil then immediately lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes at a simmer.
While the soup is cooking, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil; add a dash to salt and the rice.
Boil until the rice is tender, about 12-to-15 minutes, then drain.
Stir the rice into the finished soup, season with pepper.
Serve the soup garnished with the fresh herbs and cheese.
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