It used to be that when it came to thinking about soup in the summer months it came down to gazpacho or corn chowder. However, over the past few years soups have become popular year round.  A few years back, we were in the South of France, traveling from the west to the east, we stopped to see a castle in Carcassonne. After seeing the castle, we ducked into a small bistro that had Boeuf  Bourguignon on the menu.  I had to see no more, that was my choice even though it was mid-July and warm.  There was absolutely no disappointment and the French version of beef stew prepared with a Burgundy wine, mushroom and served with freshly chopped parsley on top…Back to our Marvelous Monday. Soups and stews can be laborious and time consuming sometimes to get the perfect meld of flavors.  For this soup, no.  You can make this soup in very little time, leaving more time for enjoying your day.  This is a good recipe to make with all of those garden tomatoes and peppers soon to be harvested.  In terms of quantity, I had a basic cookie sheet of 5 quartered  tomatoes 1 chopped large onion and 2 sliced bell  peppers and this yielded about 6 bowls of soup.  In terms of the other liquid, I used just a little chicken stock, made with Better Than Bouillon, a chicken stock, jarred paste that is added to heated water and whisked.  If you are not familiar with this product, it is in a smaller jar in the soups and stocks aisle.  The company also carries other versions for with turkey, and beef.  Everyone likes their soup at a different consistency, so you’ll need to add stock depending on your preference of texture.  Any additional can be stored in the fridge to use soon or frozen in a cube tray and stored in a baggie for future use.  This is absolutely delicious with homemade large croutons and/or Feta or goat cheese crumbled on top. What I like about this soup making technique or the other method in my book is that it is not necessary to add cream to get a thick soup.  If you want a creamy  texture, of course add a little cream, but it is not necessary.  I have added just a little skim milk to lighten the color of the soup.  Also to add a creaminess you could add a little grated fresh Parmesan cheese at the end of the cooking time.  Remember always add cream, milk or cheese at the end of the cooking process, as you turn off the heat, as you don’t want milk to curdle if it gets to boiling-you don’t want to ruin soup after investing your time and money in ingredients.  Let’s go!

Ingredients

-2 bell peppers (I used a red and orange) cored, seeded and cut into large pieces

-5 medium tomatoes cored and quartered

-1 large white onion, peeled and chopped into large pieces

-4 cloves garlic (more if you prefer)

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-coarse sea salt

-freshly ground black pepper

-assorted desired fresh herbs (I like fresh 6 Basil leaves chopped, 1/4 cup              chopped parsley or for garnish and Oregano, 1 tablespoon)

-1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used Chicken Better Than Bouillon)

-If desired, skim milk or cream, add a little at a time until you get desired consistence.

Optional:  Bread crumbs, Feta or goat cheese sprinkled on top, or grated Parmesan 1/4 cup.

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray a pan with cooking spray.

3.  Place cut up vegetable (including garlic) into a large bowl.                     Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper and pour 1/4 of olive          oil.  Toss all together and pour onto cookie sheet..

4.  Place in oven for 35-40 minutes until vegetables are well                roasted.

5.  Remove pan from oven and let cook for about 10 minutes.

6.  Carefully, as vegetables may still be hot, scoop vegetables and all juices into blender. Blend on low for a few seconds (make surectop is secure). Determine if you need to add more liquid.  I use about 1 cup. Add gradually. You can always add more, once too much liquid is added, you can’t make it thinner.

7.  Serve with desired toppings of breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, Feta, goat cheese.

8.  Store remaining soup in a glass mason jar or air tight container.

9.  To reheat soup either warm in a saucepan on the stove or COVER in the microwave.