Chilled Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Avocado Chile Salsa Food

CHILLED RED & YELLOW PEPPER SOUP WITH AVOCADO SALSA

Steps:

• For the soup: In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 minutes; transfer to a medium bowl to cool.
• Place half of the cooled broth mixture in a blender (make sure to get an equal amount of liquid and onions); add yellow peppers and 1⁄2 cup of the yogurt; purée until smooth.
• Transfer yellow pepper purée to a covered container and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Rinse blender and transfer remaining broth mixture to it. Add red peppers and remaining 1⁄2 cup yogurt; purée until smooth.
• Transfer red pepper purée to another covered container and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• For the salsa: While soups are chilling, in a small bowl combine avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.
• To serve the soup, simultaneously ladle a generous 1⁄2 cup of the yellow pepper soup and a generous 1⁄2 cup of the red pepper soup into each of 4 shallow bowls, allowing soups to meet in center. Garnish each with salsa and serve.

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, chile and the garlic and cook until slightly soft, about 2 minutes.
• Season with salt, to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Put the avocados in a large bowl. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, cilantro, onion mixture, and water. Add, in batches, to a blender and puree until smooth, straining each batch of puree into a large bowl. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of salt and the 1 teaspoon of pepper, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.
• Pour the chilled soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle of the sour cream. Serve with crostini or croutons, if desired.

CHILLED RED PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Arrange peppers on broiler pan and roast 6 inches from heat source, turning until blackened on all sides.
• Transfer to a plastic bag and let steam 10 minutes.
• Peel peppers, discarding veins and seeds; rinse if necessary and pat dry with paper towels.
• Puree 2 peppers or chop very finely by hand.
• Slice remaining 2 peppers into very fine julienne; reserve for garnish.
• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add shallots and cook until softened and beginning to color, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Puree tomatoes and their liquid in blender or food processor; add to shallots.
• Blend in wine, sugar, salt, pepper and pureed peppers; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat and stir in tomato juice.
• Let cool, then cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls and garnish with reserved red pepper julienne.

CHILLED RED PEPPER SOUP WITH BASIL AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until brown on edges, about 6 minutes. Add bell peppers and 3 cups stock. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer peppers and onion to processor; puree. With machine running, add stock from saucepan and blend until smooth. Mix in dried red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add bread; stir until brown. Whisk cold soup to blend; thin with more stock if necessary. Spoon into bowls. Top with bread and basil.

CHILLED ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Quick-roast and peel peppers.Chop onion. Peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch dice. In a 5-quart heavy kettle heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté onion, potato, and cumin, stirring, 5 minutes. Add roasted peppers, water, and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.
• While soup is cooking, peel and seed tomato.
• Purée soup in batches with tomato in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Cool soup. Chill soup, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Adjust seasoning.
• Serve soup with lime wedges.

AVOCADO AND RED PEPPER SALSA

Steps:

• Half and stone the avocados.
• Scoop out and finely dice the flesh.
• Finely chop the red onion.
• Slice the top off the pepper and pull out the central core.
• Shake out any remaining seeds.
• Cut the pepper into thin strips and then dice up the thin strips.
• Halve the chilies, remove their seeds and finelt chop them.
• Mix the chilies, coriander, oil, lemon and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the avocado, red onion and pepper in a bowl.
• Pour in the chili and coriander dressing and toss the mixture well.
• Serve immediately.