In terms of kitchen gadgets, air fryers are really having their moment right now, and have been doing so for the past couple of years.
As handy as they may be, it doesn’t mean we should forget about other kitchen appliances that we might have lurking at home – the slow cooker, for example.
Although these serve a totally different purpose, they’re still very handy to have, as you can prepare flavourful meals with almost no prep involved.
And this was definitely the case when I tried out a viral recipe for roasted tomato and red pepper soup in the slow cooker. Created by Poppy O’Toole, who is famous for her mouth-watering potato creations, this dish is part of her ongoing series on TikTok and Instagram featuring different soups you can make in the slow cooker – all of which are perfect for this chilly weather.
I got my slow cooker last year and admittedly don’t use it very often, but after spotting this recipe, it was the perfect excuse to dig it out and give it a go.
And the result? A gorgeous, warming soup that dare I say was better than Heinz or anything else you get from a can. Here’s everything you need to make it.
Slow cooker tomato and red pepper soup
Ingredients
- 1kg tomatoes (use all different shapes and sizes, if you like)
- One onion, sliced
- Two garlic cloves, grated or crushed
- 50ml balsamic vinegar, plus extra if needed
- Vegetable oil, for drizzling
- One jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- Three to four sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 200ml tomato passata
- One tablespoon tomato purée
- One chicken or vegetable stock cube, crumbled
- Small handful of basil, leaves picked
- 50g butter, cubed
- White sugar, to taste, if needed
- Salt and black pepper
Method
First, place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper in a tray and roast at 180C for around 30 minutes until the tomatoes are just starting to become blistered.
Then, in the slow cooker, place the roasted vegetables along with the chopped peppers, passata, tomato puree and stock cube, along with around 200ml of water – you can add more later on if you need to.
The only thing I couldn’t find in the shops was the sun-dried tomatoes, but the soup still tasted amazing without, so they’re not an absolute necessity. I also added chilli flakes at this point, which again isn’t necessary but adds a nice fiery kick.
Pop the lid on the slow cooker and set it to cook on high for three hours, or low for four hours. I went with the three hour option since I started making this after work and was ravenous, so wanted it to be ready as soon as possible.
Check on the soup around the halfway point, adding another splash of water if you think you need to.
Once the time is up, add the butter and basil, and blend up your soup. Poppy used a hand blender in her recipe which I don’t have, but a Nutribullet or something similar works just as well – but remember to let it cool a little before you do this.
No tomato soup is complete without a cheese toastie to dunk in it, so I quickly made one of these once the soup was ready to serve. Topped with basil and more black pepper, and it was time to eat.
I’d never thought of using my slow cooker for soup before but the difference in flavour was spectacular. It genuinely tasted like something you’d be served at a restaurant – and much better than anything out of a tin.
Rich, spicy and warm, it’s guranteed to become your new favourite recipe this autumn.