We kept ourselves busy this winter traveling to warm, sunny places to avoid the blues. But I think it’s safe to say that we have made it through another winter. (As I write this, I am sitting outside on the deck listening to the birds and the frogs. The sweet sounds of spring!). I know that days like this are still a treat. But I think we can officially put away the snow clothes and shovels……I hope I’m not jinxing anything. It’s time to start cleaning up the yard and planning our family garden.
I still have a few things left in the freezer from last year. Mainly tomatoes and peppers. What better way to use them, than in a roasted red pepper and tomato soup. This soup is tasty, more tomato than pepper, perfect for lingering chilly days but light enough for the warm ones. I have been trying to clean up my diet a little bit each week, so I subbed out the milk for almond milk. The end result was equally delicious and not lacking in flavor or consistency.
This soup would pair perfectly with a grilled cheese sandwich and now, suddenly, I’m dreaming of just a few more nights stuck binge watching Game of Thrones on the couch.
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 6–8 Red Bell Peppers
- 1/2 an onion, diced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 4 cups of chicken stock
- 14 oz. diced or crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Clean the bell peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Place them on a baking sheet covered in foil, pressing them down to make them as flat as possible. Place the garlic cloves on the baking sheet among the peppers.
- Place the baking sheet of peppers and garlic under the broiler in the oven and broil for about 15 minutes until the skins are blackened. Remove from the oven and place the peppers inside a container, and close the lid or seal tightly with plastic wrap. This will allow the steam to soften the peppers more. Keep in there for another 15 minutes.
- While prepping the bell peppers, in a frying pan saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent.
- After peppers have cooled enough to touch, about 15 minutes. Remove from the container and peel off the burnt skin. It will peel off. If the skin is still attached and difficult to remove, peel only the burnt parts that should easily be removed.
- Place the bell pepper, garlic cloves, and onion into a food processor and processes for about 3-5 minutes until there are no large chunks left.
- Add the mixture to a large pot, add in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, hot sauce, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Stir in the milk or cream and Oregon. Stir until completely combined.
- Remove from heat (remove bay leaf) and serve with extra milk or cream and fresh herbs on top if desired.
*To the best of my ability, I have tried to indicate all ingredients, products and equipment that are available at Johnnies in Bold Print.
Recipe found and adapted from www.houseofyumm.com