Here’s a quick, delicious soup that uses pantry staples so you don’t have you leave your house when it’s -3 F outside, which is exactly where I found myself last night. I added red bell pepper as an afterthought and it created an extra tanginess to the soup.

Toss in some chopped baby spinach right at the end for a nutritious bump.

Creamy Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• One onion, chopped
• 4 baby red bell peppers, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1.5 cups chicken stock
• one 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1.5 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups chopped baby spinach (optional)
• cream, for serving

Directions:

Coat a dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté until onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook till fragrant, about a minute.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir so everything is well coated. Cook for about a minute. Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano and give it a good stir. Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat to low. The soup should begin to thicken nicely. If it’s too thick, add more stock.

Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning. Use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth.

Five minutes before serving, add the spinach, if desired.

Spoon into bowls and stir in a dollop of cream just before serving.