SHEETPAN ROASTED RED PEPPER VEGGIE SOUP

Vegetarian|Ciao Bella|Gluten-free|Soups and Chowders

Ingredients

The Soup:

2 large red bell peppers, cut in half and seeded

1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1” thick wedges

10 garlic cloves, peeled

½ head of cauliflower, broken into florets

1 pound Campari tomatoes, cut in half (or regular tomatoes cut into large chunks)

2 large carrots, cut into ½” thick rounds (about 2 cups)

⅓ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ cup fresh basil leaves (plus more for garnish)

1, 15 ounce can coconut milk

2 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling)

Cheese Toasts:

1 French baguette, cut into ½” thick rounds

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite type)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Place the pepper halves, skin-side-up, on the baking sheet along with the onions, garlic, cauliflower, and carrots all in an even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the tops of the vegetables and sprinkle everything evenly with the salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, and Ciao Bella Italian seasoning.

Bake for 20 minutes and gently toss the veggies on the sheet with a spatula. Place the pan back in the oven and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes until the veggies are charred and the carrots are tender when pierced with a knife.

Remove the pan from the oven and let them cool slightly for 10-15 minutes. Place all of the veggies and any juices that have formed on the pan into a blender or food processor. Add the sugar, basil leaves, coconut milk, stock, and parmesan to the blender. Process until smooth – Note – you should hit pulse several times first if the veggies are very hot so they don’t erupt out of the top of the blender!

Transfer the pureed mixture to a pot and heat on medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Keep warm until ready to serve. If you like a thinner consistency, add a little more stock.

To make the cheese toasts, place the baguette slices on a foil lined baking sheet (I use the same sheet from the veggies). Drizzle the bread on both sides with the olive oil. Toast in the oven (still at 400 degrees) for 4-5 minutes until they begin to get toasty. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the shredded cheese on top of each slice.

Turn the oven to broil and place the pan back in the oven about 5-6” from the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Serve the hot soup drizzled with a little olive oil and garnished with more basil leaves and parmesan. Dunk the cheese toasts into the soup and devour.