recipe: south african smoked tomato leek soup

Cleaning out my fridge is always an interesting catalyst for creating unique, random recipes, like my latest soup.

The first word that pops into my head to describe this recipe is “rustic.” I feel like it should be “ethnic,” given the South African Smoke, but you can’t argue with instinct!

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In a pot, caramelize chopped onions and leeks {I used about half an onion and a full trimmed leek}. Roast half a red pepper and one clove of garlic. Meanwhile, coarsely chop a large can of whole tomatoes; reserve liquid. When the onions and leeks are fully caramelized and the pepper and garlic are fully roasted, combine all ingredients, including the tomato liquid, in the pot {peel the garlic first}. Sprinkle with a dash of red pepper flakes and a dash of South African Smoke. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 30 minutes or until the flavors have blended well. 

I didn’t blend the soup using my immersion blender, but I bet it would be tasty as a smooth soup too! Add the smoke seasoning a little bit at a time- if you add too much, it ends up much too smokey, at least for my dainty palate 🙂