Roasted Red Pepper Soup: Yummy and Healthy!

While in Crested Butte, Colorado last week I had the best roasted red pepper soup at the slope-side restaurant, 9380 Prime. It had such a great flavor and it was so smooth, it was the perfect lunch. Well, when I got home I began craving it and decided to look on the Internet for a close replica. (I thought about first calling the restaurant and trying to beg the chef for the recipe but decided to try it on my own first!) I found a great recipe from the blog, Kerala Kitchen and decided to try it out...I wasn't let down, it was delicious and tastes almost exactly like 9380 Prime's version.

You can still see the steam from the picture; really it was absolutely delicious and you must give a try.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Large Red Bell Peppers
• 2 C. canned diced tomatoes
• 2 C. chicken stock
• 1 red onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil (I left this out and it still tasted great!)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper (I used 1 tsp. for extra sharpness)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. heavy cream (I actually used 3 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the onion into 4 quarters. Seed the red peppers and cut lengthwise into two pieces. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and place the red peppers skinside up. Fill the spaces with the onion pieces and the whole garlic cloves. (I recommend putting down a sheet of aluminum foil and then placing the olive oil and vegetables on top--easier clean up!!) Drizzle 1 Tbsp. olive oil on top of all the vegetables and roast for 20 minutes or until the peppers turn brown. Remove the skins of the peppers and chop into large pieces. Set aside with the onion and garlic.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock oregano and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add the peppers, onion and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes. Then using a hand blender (or transfer to a regular blender), puree the mixture until it's smooth and an even texture. (The lady who wrote this recipe feels the soup tastes better if it's chunky, I disagree--I like the texture to be smooth, like a bisque). Return the puree back to the saucepan (if you used a blender) and add the sugar, black pepper and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes then remove the pot from the heat. Add heavy cream and stir in well. Garnish with basil and sour cream if you like.

I served it with a simple salad and chunks of french bread. Bon Appetit!

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