Delayed Air Traffic Soup

Ingredients

• 2 red onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 large carrots
• 1 zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• 400 g peeled tomatoes (canned)
• 1 liter vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 baguette
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil (optional)

Method

1. Finely chop the onions and garlic.
2. Dice celery, carrot, zucchini, and bell pepper.
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
4. Add celery, carrot, zucchini, and bell pepper, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in tomato paste, then add peeled tomatoes and stock.
6. Bring to a boil, add chili flakes, lemon zest, and juice. Simmer 20 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Slice the baguette into long diagonal strips of about 10 cm, toast lightly in 2 tbsp olive oil.
9. Ladle soup into deep bowls. Place 3-4 bread strips diagonally in the soup, partly on the rim, like departing airplanes.
10. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serving notes

• Serve with extra lemon wedges for more tang.
• Arrange bread strips diagonally so they resemble departing airplanes.