Gerti's fiery – spicy tomato soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 700 g tomato(s), aromatic
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150 ml red wine, dry
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, black
• 2 tsp sambal oelek
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch of ground cumin
• 2 sprigs of oregano
• 1 chili pepper(s), green
• 100 g whipped cream
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Blanch the tomatoes, peel them, halve them, remove the stems and cut the flesh into pieces. Wash, trim and finely dice the vegetables. Peel the onion and garlic, dice the onion and finely chop the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and let the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and vegetables and fry for 3 minutes while stirring. Then add the tomatoes and sauté briefly. Pour in the red wine and 1/2 l water, stir the tomato paste into the soup and season everything with salt, pepper, sambal oelek, bay leaf and cumin. Cover the soup and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more water if necessary. Meanwhile, rinse the oregano and finely slice the leaves. Wash the chili pepper, cut it lengthwise, and remove the seeds and membranes. Rinse the chili halves thoroughly, trim them and cut into very thin strips. Whip the cream until stiff. Remove the bay leaf, purée the soup with a hand blender, and season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar, and sambal oelek. Stir in the cream, leaving about 4 tablespoons, and ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a dollop of cream, sprinkle with oregano, and chili flakes, and serve immediately. Recipe variation: For a mild tomato soup, omit the sambal oelek and cumin. Finally, season the soup with 2-3 juniper berries, finely crushed in a mortar and pestle, and a dash of gin. Ladle the soup into deep bowls and place a dollop of cream in the center of each bowl.