This three bell pepper soup is sweet and tangy and complemented with currants, basil, and pine nuts.
The Story:
Recently, I got it in my head that I wanted some pepper soup. I’ve never had pepper soup. I love soup, though for most of my life it’s come from a can, so breaking out and trying something completely new and made on my own is an adventure. But that’s part of the point of this food blog and our mantra is- Exploring the food we eat. Sharing our discoveries.
For the recipe, I consulted an old vegetarian cookbook of ours, but not being particularly impressed, I consulted The Flavor Bible and found a slew of winning ingredients. Still, I didn’t know how it would turn out until I made it.
Wow! It was so different than any soup I’ve ever had, both from a can and made from scratch. Then Philip came home and I had him taste it. He said it was the best soup he’s ever had. So, I guess once again a little risk-taking and The Flavor Bible pay off once again.
Gather your tools. You’ll need:
Gather your ingredients. You’ll need:
Ingredients:
2 each (6 total) of red, orange, and yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large (or 4-5 medium) cloves of garlic
5 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 cup currants
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cooking sherry
6 tablespoons fresh basil, shredded in strips
6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Directions:
Divide each bell pepper in half and remove seeds and spine. Set oven to broil. Place bell pepper halves on baking pan and broil 4 inches from heat until peppers are mostly black. Remove and allow to cool. Peel off the most burnt parts or remove skins entirely, to taste.
Heat olive oil in a large pot and mince garlic. Add to pot and saute until just beginning to brown. Add in vegetable broth, bell peppers, currants, and sea salt and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in red wine vinegar or cooking sherry.
Working in 1 cup batches, process in a food blender until mostly smooth. (Soup will not be silky, but that’s okay). Continue until entire batch is processed.
To serve, pour 1 cup portions into bowls, top with 1 tablespoon of basil strips and pine nuts each.
If you like this, you may also like:
Thyme-Infused Carrot and Fennel Soup
Gluten-Free Vichyssoise Galette