Grilled Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Soup

So, which Sex and the City character are you? If I must choose, I might fit somewhere between a Carrie and a Miranda. I am a big SATC fan- well, of the early seasons, it went downhill towards the end- but I can’t believe the hype that this movie’s got! It is like the Star Wars for women, I read somewhere that women across the country are going to go dressed up as their favorite SATC character! Ok guys, wipe that smirk off your faces, at least the ladies are going to look smokin’ hot! A bunch of us are going tomorrow evening, and no, I am not going to dress up as Carrie. A wise girl suggested a giant flower on my lapel, it would’ve been fun, but I am going directly from work, so my Carrie impersonation will have to be limited to some pink Cosmos afterwards. I really don’t have any expectations of this movie, pretty sure it is going to suck, I am going just because it will be a fun girls’ night out.

I really wanted to make a Cosmo to welcome SATC, but I was in a hot soup kinda mood today.  I am not that fond of tomato soup, but add some roasted bell peppers, it takes the ordinary tomato soup to a different level. Since my oven is still broken, I grilled the peppers instead of roasting them, but you can roast the peppers instead. 

 

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 2 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For Garnish

• thinly sliced green onions
• roasted walnuts
• Creme fraiche or sour cream

Method

Place the bell peppers on the grill and cook turning, until charred and soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and place the peppers in a paper bag and seal and cool for 10 minutes. Peel, remove the seeds and chop.

Heat oil in a large enough saucepan and add the shallots and garlic. Cook till the shallots start to soften. Add the chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, curry powder and paprika and cook for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. 

Add the chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the contents into a smooth liquid. Alternately transfer the contents to a food processor and process until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot in individual bowls and garnish with roasted walnuts, sliced green onions and a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.

This soup is my entry for Jihva for Bell Peppers and Vegetable of the Week hosted by Pooja of My Creative Ideas. Jihva for Ingredients is a food event started by Indira of Mahanandi to celebrate and showcase a chosen ingredient every month.

More like this..

Category: Bell Pepper, Soups and Salads, Tomato