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I have noticed that there has been some common subject matter on various social media in the past week or so. One is either commenting about the weather (yes, we are back in the single digits– #whydoilivehere #imdonewithwinter) or sharing that someone in the family is down and out with fever and flu. Well, I can’t do much about the weather other than shovel snow, salt the walkways, and complain about how dang cold it is (!), but I can try to prevent that flu bug from crossing my thresholds.
Years ago my children opted out of getting the flu shot (I can’t say that I blame them), but only in agreement that they 1. wash well, 2. sleep well, and 3. eat well. That means eating foods that aren’t high on their yum list. Red bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, high in antioxidants, loaded with lots of other good stuff, and…definitely not on the yum list for the kiddos. Don’t get me wrong, they do like them. But if you were to ask them, “What is your favorite thing that Mom makes?” I guarantee it won’t have red peppers in it.
Not only is this soup chock-full of roasted red bell peppers, but there are onions, garlic, carrots, and fennel– all of which are good for keeping the system in good health. For a little smokiness, I throw in a dash of smoked paprika. And for a triple pepper play, I hit the finished product with some crushed red pepper flakes. This soup is sweet, smoky, a little spicy, and the texture is as smooth as velvet (no chunky stuff for the kids). The smooth texture does not come from any cream or thickeners. Just three tablespoons of Arborio rice are simmered with the other ingredients before being puréed. It can be served warm, room temperature, or even cold (that is when it’s not sub-zero outside). And to really make the kids go back for seconds, serve it with some artisanal bread and aged prosciutto that you picked up from a recent food field trip. (You Facebook followers know the place I am talking about ☺.)
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Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large red bell peppers, halved, cored, and seeded
- 5 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzle
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium fennel bulb, fronds reserved and chopped
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Toss the peppers with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Place the peppers, cut side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until they have blistered and browned, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover the sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil to steam the peppers and loosen their skin. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers, discarding the skins, and cut into long strips.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and fennel and sauté until tender, but not browned, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the stock, wine, rice, herbs, and peppers and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the peppers and rice are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a hand-held immersion blender or high-speed blender (allow steam to escape when blending hot liquids to avoid burns and/or a kitchen disaster), purée the soup until smooth and thick. Return the soup to the pot and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the vinegar and smoked paprika and taste again for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummy!!
This soup sounds dreamy! Yum!
I am craving soup at the moment (despite the sweltering summer heat) and this looks like it combines the best of our current seasonal haul of red capsicums with that unseasonal desire! Thank you for the recipe, and I hope everyone stays healthy in your household. With soup like that the germs won't come close!
Are you only using the bulb of the fennel? I am a bit confused about reserve fronds and chop. Just wanted to make sure. Thank you so much!!!! Also, have you ever frozen this soup?
Yes, use just the bulb for the soup. The fronds are reserved for garnish. I have not frozen this soup, but you can do so.
Thank you so much for your quick response!!! This is, quite possibly, the best soup I have ever had!!! It was amazing. Thank you again!