Picnic recipe: tomato, pepper and cumin soup 1l tomato juice (the best you can get) A shake of smoked paprika Coriander and tortilla chips, to serve Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Cut the peppers in half lengthways and pull out the seed, core and stalk. Flatten and lay on a baking sheet, skin side up. Cook at the top of the oven for 10 minutes or so until the skins blister and start to blacken. Peel and cut into 1cm/½in squares. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. After 10-20 seconds (less if they are very ripe) scoop them out and peel away the skins. All this skin removal is a pain, and if you are planning to purée and sieve the soup then don't bother. But in a chunky soup, slimy skin is to be avoided. Scatter the cumin in the bottom of a large baking tray. Add the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and a fat pinch of salt and pepper, turning everything together with your hands. Cook near the top of the oven for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes are touched with brown. Take the baking tin out of the oven and stir in the peppers and smoked paprika, followed by the tomato juice, breaking up any large bits of tomato. Leave to macerate for 10 minutes then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding extra if you plan to serve the soup cold. Serve with some crushed tortilla chips (instead of croutons) and coriander leaves.