Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I always crave this soup, but it's especially delicious when red peppers are in season (and cheaper). It's surprisingly simple and still very tasty. Sit outside in the summer air and enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup  

3 red bell peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 cups stock (veggie, chicken, etc…)

1 Tbls flour

black pepper, salt

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (If you don’t you’ll have black marks from the peppers that don’t go away). Cut peppers in half and clean out seeds. Lay cut edge down on baking sheet. Broil until skins black and blistered.
2. Place the peppers in a plastic and a close it with a tie or zip lock. Let it sit and cool off.  When cool peel off skins and discard. Roughly chop peppers.
3. Put onion, garlic, and 2/3 cup stock in a large saucepan.  Boil until stock reduces in volume.  Lower heat and stir until onion and garlic soft and just beginning to color.
4. Sprinkle flour over onions.  Gradually stir in the rest of the stock.
5. Add chopped roasted peppers.  Bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Let soup cool slightly. Puree in food processor or blender.  Return to saucepan.  Season with pepper and salt.  Reheat.

Makes about 4 servings

• Another version: cook the onions and garlic and butter with rosemary sprigs.  After cooked remove rosemary.  Add roasted peppers and stock.  Boil add a few Tbls of tomato puree, cook it all together, let cool and then puree.  Add a little paprika and ¼ c. cream.
• Another version: chop up 1 or 2 sweet potatoes and cook with onions and garlic in the stock.  Then after adding the red peppers cook together, let cool, puree, then put back in pan on the burner.  Add salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce to taste.