Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Oh my heavens have I missed you guys!  After a much needed recovery and recuperation, I am finally back in my kitchen!  And just in time too because it’s the height of red pepper season and I LOVE RED PEPPERS!  They are all over the farmers markets too (did I also mention how much I missed going to the farmers markets every weekend?), along with eggplants, carrots in a rainbow of colors, sweet corn and peaches galore!  I feel like I’m having to play catch up, so I’ve been whirling around my kitchen like a drunken teenage girl on prom night.  I wasn’t sure where to begin until the Boy (who took VERY good care of me while I was down for the count) kindly reminded me how much he loved roasted red pepper soup.  And after how awesome he’s been, I figured the least I could do was whip together this soup as a thank you of sorts.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Soup in the Summer??? Are you insane??? Have you been outside lately?”  The answer to that is while I may be eccentric, I don’t really think I qualify as insane.  And no, I actually hadn’t been outside during the heat wave that struck D.C. over the few weeks in August.  But that doesn’t negate the fact that I think you should get on making this soup ASAP.  Not only is it super easy, it puts any soup you’d buy at Panera to shame (but let’s be honest, Panera’s not all that hard to top).  Pair this with a BLT (or any sandwich using the wonderful heirloom tomatoes bursting off the tables at the farmers markets) and you have a lunch worth going to work for.

Although you can use jarred roasted red peppers (I shudder as I write those words because I am, in fact, a food snob…I’m so sorry), it’s really worth it to roast the peppers yourself.  The Boy picked up the red peppers from McLeaf’s stand at the 14th and U Farmers Market for a mere 75 cents a piece (Thrifty DC Cook would be proud) and roasting them was unbelievably easy (as my recipe will illustrate).  Using fresh red peppers you roast yourself add a depth of flavor to the soup that no jar can match.  And the smell that penetrates your house as they roast is just a wonderful bonus (take that Glade).

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

8 red peppers, roasted, de-seeded and coarsely chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped

4 cups vegetable stock

1 large potato (I used a German butterball potato from the Mountain View stand at 14th & U), peeled and diced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To roast the red peppers:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and stem (trust me, this will save you a LOT of time later).  Place them cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour.  Remove the peppers from the oven and using tongs, place them in a bowl.  Tightly wrap the bowl using aluminum foil and let the peppers cool to room temperature.  Once they’ve cooled, remove the skins from the peppers and then coarsely chop them.

To make the soup:

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the garlic, onion, thyme and carrots.  Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the red peppers, potatoes, broth, wine, sugar, chopped basil and red pepper flakes and stir.  Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low, partially covering the Dutch oven.  Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes.  Allow the soup to cool completely.

Working in batches, blitz the soup in a blender until smooth.  Serve either at room temperature or you can heat it up again.  You can also serve this soup cold for a more Summer friendly meal.

Tagged as: Food, recipes, Red Pepper Recipe, Red Peppers, soup, Soup Recipe