Roasted Red Pepper Soup

For some reason, red bell peppers were on "clearance" at the supermarket. I had to jump on the opportunity and make the most of this rare occasion. I managed to get 6 red bell peppers for $2. A steal considering they're normally $5 for 2.

I was contemplating recipes for bell peppers and besides fajitas, I hadn't had much experience with them. Then, soup. Nothing better on a cold day than soup. I heard of roasted red bell pepper soup before but never attempted it. It's now or never, Especially since I'm leaving for Hawaii in a few days.


Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

4 red bell peppers
1 small onion, or half of a large onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 basil leaf, chiffonade
salt and pepper

Heat oven to broil on high to roast peppers. Place bell peppers (whole) onto a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Watch peppers for blistering. Rotate after black charring or blisters appear. After all sides of peppers are charred, remove from broiler and let cool.

After a few minutes, place peppers in paper bag and massage to remove black char. You could also pull the skin off by hand. After peppers are skinned, roughly chop them.

In a large pot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic with salt and pepper for a few minutes, until onions are soft. Add chopped peppers and chicken broth. Bring to boil, them simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Use blender or immersion blender to blend until smooth. Ladle into bowls and top with basil ribbons.

The soup is like a spicier tomato soup. Good news for Boyfriend since he's not the biggest fan on tomato soup. Turns out he likes it!This would be perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich or panini. You can also top with it cheese for some creaminess, like goat cheese. For added richness, drizzle olive oil on top of soup. Enjoy.

-Akemi-chan