Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

Ingredients
  Tomatoes – 1 1/2lb - halved
  Cherry tomatoes – a handful (optional)
  Onions – 1 cup, sliced thick
  Fresh fennel bulb – 1
  Half of a red bell pepper, chopped rough
  Bay leaves – 2
  Garlic, halved horizontally so that all the bulbs are held together but cut through
  Salt – As per taste (I use a mixture of powdered rock salt and kala namak)
  Olive oil – 2-3 tsps.
  Extra virgin olive oil – A few drops to garnish
  Black pepper, powdered – to taste (optional)
  Harissa (the surprise Middle Eastern element) – 1 tsp.
  Vegetable stock – ½ cup or more as needed

Method
1. Trim the fennel fronds and keep a few leaves for garnish. Cut lengthwise from the tip to the base of the bulb. Halve again and chop roughly. If the core is hard, remove it. Do not throw any of the trimmed fronds or the core. These can be used to make vegetable soup stock.
2. Pre-heat oven.
3. Quarter onions. Mix the onions and fennel pieces together in a baking tray. Place one half of the garlic in the center. Drizzle salt and one tsp. of olive oil. Toss and set aside.
4. Halve both varieties of tomatoes and arrange in another baking tray. Add bell peppers and keep the other half of the garlic in the center. Add bay leaves. Drizzle another 1tsp. of olive oil, sea salt and toss.
5. Place both baking trays in a pre-heated oven and bake for at least 20 minutes. Check whether the onions and fennel have browned. If not, bake for another ten minutes.  Re-check and remove the onion and fennel tray once browned.  The tomatoes will take more time, about 10 minutes.
6. Once roasted, let the trays cool. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a uniform paste.
7. Sieve through a soup strainer. If needed add vegetable stock to bring the soup to right consistency. Warm the soup. Add the harissa paste, if using. If not, add chilli powder and a dash of lemon juice (very little) to adjust the sourness according to taste. If the tomatoes are sour enough do not add lemon. 
8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, or dotted with vegan yogurt, and serve with bread or by itself. 

Serves 2 generous bowlfuls