Roasted Red Pepper Soup: Take 2

And so, the affair with my immersion blender continues…

…this Sunday Soup’s recipe has already been posted – over a year ago actually – but as previously mentioned, it needed some tweaking.

The recipe has now been greatly improved. I love this soup for its richness in flavor and color, (as we all know, we eat with our eyes first), and its simplicity, in preparation and overall taste.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)

3 large red bell peppers

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 tsp tomato paste

3/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp paprika

4 c beef broth

1 tbsp corn starch

Salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Wash and dry bell peppers and rub with oil. Place on baking sheet and roast for 30 min, until skin is blistered and charred. Remove from oven.

When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel skin and remove ribs and seeds from inside, and discard them. Chop up the peppers and set aside.

Preheat 1 tbsp oil on medium-low heat in a medium soup pot. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté for 3 min, until onions are soft. Add carrot and sauté another 4 min. Then add peppers, paste, basil, cayenne, paprika and black pepper to taste.

Stir. Add broth, cover with lid, raise heat and bring to a boil, about 10 min. Then crack lid, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 more min. Then place the corn starch in a small dish/bowl and mix with 1 tbsp tap water until dissolved. Add mixture to soup. Simmer soup for another 2 min. Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender/food processor to desired consistency. Re-season if necessary.

*May be served with sour cream and/or croutons.