Tomato Pepper Red Lentil Soup

This soup can be made with fresh tomatoes and peppers or canned versions, so it's a good recipe to tuck away for winter, too. The flavors are loosely based on Spanish Romesco sauce, so I call it Romesco Soup. The almonds, which may seem like an odd soup ingredient, are a traditional part of the sauce and they  thicken the soup while adding protein, healthy fats, and rich flavor. I find it to be a real crowd-pleaser, and people can never figure out quite what makes it so good, but the magic of sweet and acid tomatoes, silky sweet roasted peppers, smoky paprika, earthy red lentils, and rich almonds rather explains itself, especially when topped with a swirl of fruity olive oil.