March 14th/Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Tasty: This is the perfect excuse to eat something particularly delicious today, right?

I was so going to make some hot chocolate for the girls this evening, but did not read the recipe ahead and found I did not have the chocolate chips it calls for. So, I will get some tomorrow, and the girls and I will snuggle up with some tomorrow night on our second adventure with the Doctor. 

To get this divine recipe, go HERE

Instead, I will share our newest addition to our soup collection. Roasted Bell Pepper Soup.

It was soooo yummy! And this is absolutely marvelous for you! NO gluten! NO butter or cream! And if you make it with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, it can be vegan! Seriously, you can grow and make all of the ingredients (except for the little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper). 

Anyways, here is the recipe for Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Just because I can not help my self, here are some pictures of the peppers and tomatoes before/after roasting:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(YUMM!!)

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup (serves about 3)

• 5-6 large bell peppers, red, orange, or yellow (I used 2 of each)
• 4-5 medium-large tomatoes, cut in half (leave all the guts inside)
• 4 large garlic cloves, still in their skins
• 3 large shallots, peeled and cut in half
• olive oil
• 2 1/2-3 cups good chicken or vegetable stock
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Heat your oven to 425 F (or I bet it would ROCK on the grill!).  Put all the vegetables into a large roasting pan (I used 2 so nothing overlapped).  Pour several generous splashes of olive oil over them, and toss them to coat.
2. Turn all the peppers and tomatoes so that their cut sides are down.  Stick the pan in the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes, until the pepper and tomato skins are blistered and charred and the garlic and shallots are soft.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool until the vegetables are cool enough to handle gently.  Then, use your fingers to remove the skins from the peppers and tomatoes.  Cut the very ends off of the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out.  Put all the vegetables – peppers, tomatoes, shallots, and garlic – into a soup pot.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes (uncovered).
4. Now, working in batches, puree the soup in a blender (be careful!  Use hotpads!  Don’t overfill the blender because you don’t want tidal waves of hot soup spewing forth!).  Pour it through a strainer into a large bowl or another pot.  Then, return all the soup to the pot, and reheat gently if needed.  Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve!  Accompany with a hearty bread and some good cheese.  Or grilled cheese.  Or maybe some good sausage.  Or you can garnish the soup with feta, sauteed corn kernels, and some cilantro oil, and pesto.  It will be tasty no matter which way you try it.

We made yummy pesto mozzarella grilled cheese with it. A nice vegetarian meal. I will make this with all home grown and homemade ingredients one day. Including the mozzarella and sourdough! I can not wait!

Cheesy goodness!!!

Cleaned my bowl!