
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yields: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
6 cups low-salt chicken stock (1.5 L)
3 slices day-old Italian bread, ½-inch thick
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 6ths
25 Roma tomatoes, halved, cored, seeded
1 medium onion, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (5 ml)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (2.5 ml)
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup basil leaves (125 ml)
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (60 ml)
Method
In a large soup pot heat the chicken stock. Tear up the Italian bread and add to the stock.
Prepare the vegetables for grilling. Core and seed the red pepper halve and seed the Roma tomatoes and chop the onion. Put all vegetables into a big bowl drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the barbecue for direct grilling. Preheat the grill to medium-low heat, 300°F/150°C (5 steamboats). Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning once. The skins of the vegetables should char and blister.
Remove the vegetables from the grill. Remove the skins of the peppers and tomatoes and roughly chop. Place grilled vegetables in a large bowl and add the diced celery, garlic, basil and balsamic. Season with salt and pepper,
Add the mixture to the soup pot on the stove and simmer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes take the soup off the heat source. Place a large sealable plastic bag full of ice into the soup. This is to cool the soup down. Once cool, remove ice, cover and refrigerate.
When ready to server, puree with a hand wand and adjust seasoning to taste.