Sweet red pepper and tomato soup with a sweet red pepper and chive butter and toasted ciabatta

Roasting the peppers, shallots and tomatoes gives this simple soup a lovely rich flavour. James Martin makes his own butter here, but just use shop bought butter if you want save time.

Preparation method

1. For the sweet red pepper and tomato soup, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Place the peppers over an open gas flame until black all over. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to stand for 1-2 minutes.

3. Remove the peppers from the bowl and peel off the black skin, rinse underneath a running tap to get the remainder of the skin off. Remove the seeds and set the pepper aside.

4. Place the shallot halves (cut-side down) along with the plum tomatoes and garlic cloves onto a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake at the top of your oven for 30 minutes or until the shallots are cooked

5. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and add the roasted shallots, peppers and garlic.

6. Add the hot stock and cook for five minutes.

7. Blend with a stick blender until smooth and place back in the pan to warm through.

8. For the sweet red pepper and chive butter, place the double cream in a food processor and whisk until the liquid buttermilk separates from the fat and a butter has formed.

9. Remove the butter solids and place on a large piece of clean muslin. Rinse the butter under cold running water to remove any residual buttermilk. Hang the muslin over a bowl to catch any more liquid and leave for an hour.

10. Once hung for one hour, remove from the muslin and mix in the peppers and chives.

11. Form into a long log shape and roll in cling film.

12. Heat a large griddle pan and drizzle a little olive oil over the cut ciabatta, and toast either side for 1-2 minutes or until bar marks appear.

13. To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve the toasted ciabatta topped with the pepper and chive butter on the top.

14. The soup can be served hot or cold.