Pepper and Tomato Soup

This recipe originally called for yellow or orange tomatoes and yellow or orange peppers, but will taste great with whatever you have on hand.

• 1 pound tomatoes
• 1/3 cup white rice
• salt and pepper
• onion
• garlic
• 3 medium size sweet peppers or equivalent
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• saffron
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 quart veggie or chicken stock or water
• slivered basil, chopped marjoram and parsley for garnish

Peel tomatoes by quickly plunging into boiling water to loosen skins (about 10 seconds).  Put rice in 2 quarts boiling water, add 1/2 tsp salt, lower heat to simmer and cook until rices is tender.  Drain.Chop the onion.  Mince the garlic with a pinch of salt until mushy.  Dice peppers into small squares, removing the seeds and membranes first.  You should have about 2 cups of peppers.  Peel and seed the tomatoes, reserving the juice, then dice the walls and mince the cores.Warm the oil in a soup pot and add the onions, peppers, saffron, bay leaf, thyme and paprika.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, unti lthe onion has begun to soften and color, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, then stir in the tomato past and 1 tsp salt.  Give it a stir and add 1/4 cup water.  Stew for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, their juice, and the stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.When ready to serve, reheat the soup with the rice.  Season with pepper and garnish with herbs.