Roasted Red Pepper Soup

For years, I’ve been roasting peppers on my bbq or gas stove top.  Great method to do this but time consuming and messy.  This method (from my PC Cooking School classes) of putting peppers  into a very hot oven is easy to do and achieves similar results.  You can’t duplicate a flame roast flavor without a flame, but this is a pretty good way to char peppers and get some of that roasted flavor in your soup.

4 large red (orange or yellow) peppers seeded and cut in half
1 medium onion, roughly diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed Olive oil, salt, pepper
1 540ml can diced tomatoes – San Marzano preferably
1 l of vegetable or chicken stock, or water – start by adding half – check the consistency, add more if desired

Preheat the oven to 525F
Slice the peppers in half, remove seeds and stems
Rub with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil (to make clean up easier) Arrange the peppers on the baking tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes – watch this closely – if your oven temperature is good and hot, the surface of your peppers should be black and charred – the deeper the color the more flavorful the pepper will be in the soup
Once good and charred, turn the oven off and let the peppers cool slightly – about 10 minutes While the peppers are cooling – add some olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot – medium size
Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, add the garlic and sauté for 20 seconds, add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil – reduce the heat to a simmer
Chop up the peppers and add them to the tomatoes
Add a little stock and stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let the flavors cook for 10 minutes Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture in the pot – it is hot so please be careful
Puree or leave some texture – taste, season with salt and pepper, and taste again – TST –
If your peppers aren’t sweet enough, add some sugar – maximum 1 tsp. Serve – garnished with finely chopped rosemary or chives or parsley and a dollop of sour cream, goat cheese or yoghurt. There is something unmistakeable about fresh rosemary, tomatoes and roasted peppers!
As always – enjoy!

Variations – add smoked paprika or cumin to the tomatoes; roast the garlic before adding it into the soup; half a few jalapenos and roast them with the peppers, peel and add to the soup along with the regular peppers.

Peppers caramelizing in my very hot oven! That’s pure flavor being caramelized!

Skins removed and chopped, some char left on for flavor, my tools. Allow them to cool properly and you won’t need tools, just use your fingers!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Goat Cheese, Flatbread and Rosemary. Mmmmm, that’s good. Perfect for a cold winter’s day!