Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Anytime I drive between San Francisco and Sacramento, I always make a point of stopping at Pedrick Farms in Dixon.  It’s like a farmers’ market in a building.  They always have amazing produce and the prices are incredible.

On our way back into The City we stopped off and found huge bags filled with luscious red peppers.  I’m a huge fan, but it’s not uncommon to pay an arm and a leg for them in San Francisco (particularly at Sharon Stone’s).  So there was no way I could resist an entire bag full for $2.99.

I’ll always remember this amazing roasted red pepper soup our friend Dee made, shortly after she moved here from Denver.  It’s just always stuck with me.  So when I got home and started contemplating what I was going to do with the peppers, it didn’t take long to arrive at soup.  I found a delicious recipe over at A Spicy Perspective and away we went.  You definitely want to make this one!

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. red bell peppers, halved and cleaned (8-10)
• 5 cloves garlic, in peel
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 2 large sprigs fresh thyme (1 Tb. leaves)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground pepper
• 1-2 Tb. rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Half the peppers and remove all seeds and membranes. Press them flat with your hand and lay them on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet. Place the garlic cloves on the baking sheet.
2. Set the oven on broil and raise the rack to the upper position. Broil the red peppers and garlic for 15 minutes.
3. Once the skin has blackened, remove from the oven and place in a large zip bag to steam. (10 minutes)
4. Preheat a large pot to medium heat. Add the oil, thyme, bay leaves, and onions. Cook for 10 minutes, until onions are soft.
5. Add the broth, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels into the pot.
6. Then peel the charred skin off each pepper half and place it in the pot.
7. Reduce the heat, cover and cook another 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Then, using a hand-held immersion blender or standard blender, blend until smooth. *If using a blender, BE SURE TO remove the plug on the lid and cover with a kitchen towel—this with allow the heat to vent without a big mess!
8. Add the vinegar and salt again if needed.
9. Serve with extra thyme leaves. (In the photos I thinned out a little plain Greek yogurt with milk to make a fancy swirl on top. Pretty, but not necessary.)