every once in a while you stumble upon a hidden gem of a recipe.
this summer red pepper soup recipe is one of those. i looked at the ingredient list and thought, wow, there is barely anything in this. i thought about roasting the peppers first, to give the soup more of an intense flavor, but i was running short on time and firing up the grill just didn’t seem that appealing.
i decided to try it as is, well aware that it would not be the star of the picnic we were having at american player’s theater this weekend with my parents. but to my surprise, it absolutely was the star. ironically, it was about 50 degrees this weekend, so serving cold soup may have not been my wisest choice, but all four of us ate it with pleasure.
the beauty of the soup is that there is very little liquid added to the base of onions and peppers. you just let the vegetables let out all their delicious juices as they cook down. so instead of diluting the peppers with broth, the base of the soup is formed with their intense flavor. and it is so rich, bright, and healthy that my mother instantly asked for the recipe (which is always a true compliment).
so here it is.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 6 large red bell peppers, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- creme fraiche and thyme sprigs as garnish (optional)
- In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add in onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, until translucent. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in white wine, letting it cook down until only a little bit remains. Add in broth, peppers, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt. Mix well, cover, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Once peppers have fully softened, use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree the soup until no chunks remain. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Let soup cool completely and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and a thyme sprig, if desired.
- This soup can be served warm as well, but i think it's much more delicious cold.
recipe adapted from new york times.
recipe rephotographed may 2014.
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