Roasted vegetable bisque with lemon ricotta toasts

Serves 8 Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes

roasted vegetable bisque
10 red capsicums, roughly chopped
6 yellow capsicums, roughly chopped
6 green capsicums, roughly chopped
2-3 beetroots, roughly chopped
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
3 small hot chilli peppers
8-10 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
2 carrots, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
3 cloves garlic
2 litres organic chicken stock
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 dried bay leaf
sea salt
black pepper

ricotta lemon toasts
zest of 1 lemon, finely minced
250g ricotta cheese
8-16 mini-toasts or thin-cut baguette, lightly toasted to crisp
sea salt and black pepper

• Put capsicums, beets and whole tomatoes in a roasting pan.
• Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper then roast, stirring occasionally, until cooked but not charred. Set aside.
• Make a mirepoix of carrots, onion and celery and add to heavy stockpot along with oregano, bay leaf, and a pinch salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and sweat until tender, stirring frequently.
• Add roasted vegetables and chicken stock to stockpot. Gently boil until soft.
• Purée vegetable soup till smooth (in batches if necessary) and strain though a sieve to smoothen.
• Before serving, reheat gently and add more stock to adjust to desired thickness. Season to taste.
• To make toast, fold lemon zest into ricotta and spread generously on toast. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
• Pour soup into demitasses and garnish with fresh coriander. Place 1 or 2 pieces of toast on edge of plate and serve warm.

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