Roasted Red Pepper Cream Soup

A delicious blend of roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, basil and light cream. This can also be made with jarred roasted red peppers, but definitely worth the effort to roast them.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  large red bell peppers
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup  coarsely chopped onion
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1  tablespoon  chopped basil, plus basil chiffonade, for garnish
•  salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
•  black pepper
• 4  cups  chicken stock
• 1  cup  light cream

Directions

1. Roast peppers: Turn burner to high.
2. Impale a red pepper on a long-handled fork and hold over high heat, turning to char skin evenly.
3. When skin is brown and crackly, immediately plunge pepper in a bowl of ice water; the skin will fall away.
4. Repeat with remaining peppers.
5. Seed peppers and chop coarsely.
6. Alternatively, broil peppers in a preheated broiler 4 inches from element, turning to char all sides evenly.
7. Combine oil, onions, garlic, basil, salt, cayenne, 3 turns of pepper and roasted peppers in a medium saucepan.
8. Cook 3 minutes over high heat.
9. Stir in stock and 1/4 cup cream and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
11. Purée red pepper mixture in food processor or with a hand blender until smooth, about 2 minutes.
12. Return red pepper soup to pan with remaining cream and heat on medium-low heat before serving, garnished with basil chiffonade.