Last week, with all the cold breakfasts going on in my life, I was really craving a caprese sandwich. I wanted fresh mozzarella in my life with basil and a cold cured meat. Due to this one meal craving, I decided to make a Roasted Red Pepper Soup to go with. It sounded like the perfect combination!
But when I got to the store and saw the astronomical incorrectly priced red peppers, I decided to throw some green into the mix. Only when I was checking out did I realize the peppers were priced by pound and not individually. This is NOT what the sign said. And I’m sure of this because I stood in front of it for a good couple of minutes doing the math in my head for the amount of peppers I needed. Then I stared at the green peppers for a while wondering if there was any real difference. Then I wondered if the extra dollars on going all red was worth it. I decided it was not. I got duped.
In the long run, as flavors go when roasting, there isn’t much of a difference. The red peppers lose their skin a lot easier however. They’re snake- like bastards that just ache to shed, while the green guys cling for dear life. Definitely something to keep in mind.
I cheated with this recipe. I had leftover vegetable stock from the week before. And as luck would have it, I assumed I had 6 cups and only had about 3. So I used a little Better than Bouillon vegetable action and whipped some up. I’m sure this made things a little more salty than they should have been. And believe me, it hurt me inside to do this. I am proud of the fact that all my soups have homemade stocks, but it was effing Monday night and I just didn’t have the time. I also made the mistake of thinking that I could whip this soup up in under an hour and was incredibly mistaken. So let’s move on.
If you need to make your stock, I’m about tired of writing out the recipe. I’ve outlined it in almost every other post, so go check it out. Super simple.
But here are the ingredients you will need for this soup:
- 6 red bell peppers
- 2 Tbs butter
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 tsp Thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup of basil- stems tied together, leaves chopped
- 6 cups of vegetable broth
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 c of heavy cream- I used half and half. Arguably a bad idea
- salt and pepper to taste
There are two amateur ways to roast your peppers. One is to hold it directly over a flame and burn each side. Because there are 6 peppers to roast here, I found it easier to broil them. I lined a pan with foil and strategically placed them in a formation that would sit directly under the flame.
I checked from time to time in order to turn them. When each side was charred I placed them in a paper bag to steam for a few minutes. All in all, this process probably took around 30 minutes.
When they’re cool enough to fondle, peel off the skin, de-seed, and chop.
Next, melt the butter in your stock pot and add the onion and celery. Let that sweat for a few minutes before adding the herbs to coat. After another couple minutes add the broth, half the chopped peppers, and the bundle of basil stems. Bring this to a boil and then let simmer for 30 minutes.
While this is going, add your cream of half and half to a sauce pan and throw in the cloves of garlic. Let that bubble before bringing down to a simmer. You want this to reduce by about half, but be careful to keep the flame low enough so no films form.
When it’s ready, add the cream and garlic to a food processor. Add the remaining half of roasted peppers and blend until pureed. Add this to the soup after it’s done simmering with the chopped basil.
Upon serving, remember to remove the bay leaves and bundle of basil stems.
I paired this soup with a very simple sandwich on a small french baguette. I layered some fresh basil on a couple slices of leftover pancetta that I had. I topped those with slices of fresh mozzarella. It was a very nice addition to the soup as the flavors all blended together nicely.
I enjoyed this soup a lot the first couple of days. It wasn’t too heavy, but the puree of cream and peppers added a bit of girth which was nice. It had an overall sweet smoky taste, but the cayenne added a nice bite at the end. It did a really good job of balancing the two different sensations. My only real gripe is just that it wasn’t as versatile as the other soups I made. This is the type of soup that I want to make for a specific meal, like I did. While I can easily eat a Mushroom Barley or Chicken Noodle every day and enjoy it, this is such a specific palate that I grew tired of it after a few servings. It is so rich in pepper taste that it should be enjoyed upon its finish.
Also, by the end of the week, the cream was rejecting the rest of the broth and kind of creating its own marble look. That didn’t really help it look appealing and I wondered if that was due to the fact that I used half and half instead of heavy cream. Regardless, I’m of the opinion that this soup should be enjoyed the night of its creation or day after. And most definitely with a piece of crusty bread.
Roaring Tiger 