Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Roasted red peppers are delicious no matter what dish you place them in (within reason). They’re great on sandwiches, pizzas, in salads, you name it. Another way they can be put to great use is in soup.

I chose to make a simple Roasted Red Pepper Soup that focuses on the peppers rather than other ingredients (like potatoes, carrots, etc.). To complement the red peppers, I used cream cheese to give the soup a nice creamy texture.

Be advised that you will need a broiler to roast the red peppers.

Ingredients:

• 6 red peppers, cored, stemmed and halved
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 TBSP fresh thyme (plus more for garnish)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hot sauce (optional)

Roasted Red Peppers

1. Set broiler to high.
2. On a foil-lined baking sheet, place red pepper halves skin side up and broil for 15 minutes or until skin is nearly all blackened.
3. Remove peppers from the oven and place in a large plastic bag (even Ziploc), seal and let steam for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in large stockpot, saute onion and garlic with olive oil over medium heat until onions are translucent.
5. Once peppers have steamed, puree the peppers and onion-garlic mixture in a food processor or blender. Work in batches if necessary.
6. Return puree to stockpot and boil over medium until bubbling.
7. Add cream cheese, fresh thyme and salt and pepper. Heat until bubbling and cream cheese is melted.
8. Serve warm and add hot sauce if desired.

Red peppers are known for their antioxidants and nutritional benefits. This recipe can be healthier if you use low-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese.

If the soup is too runny, you can add more cream cheese to thicken it up or continue cooking until some of the chicken stock has reduced.