Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Knödel in Tomato Soup

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the halved red peppers, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the skin is blistered and blackened. Remove from the oven and immediately place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes to steam. This will make peeling the skin easier.

While the peppers are roasting, prepare the Knödel dough. In a large bowl, soak the cubed bread in the milk for about 10 minutes, until softened. Squeeze out any excess milk.

In the same bowl, add the egg, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper to the soaked bread. Mix well to combine. Let it rest while you finish prepping the peppers.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the blackened skin and discard. Roughly chop half the roasted pepper, set aside the other half for tomato soup base.

Gently mix the chopped roasted pepper and goat cheese into the bread mixture. With lightly floured hands, form the mixture into small dumplings, about 4cm in diameter. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour.

While forming the Knödel, heat remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the canned diced tomatoes, remaining roasted red peppers (halved and roughly chopped), vegetable broth, and sugar (if using) to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Gently drop the Knödel into the simmering tomato soup. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the Knödel are cooked through and have risen to the surface. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot; you may need to cook them in batches.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.