Leslies Red Pepper Soup Food

ROASTED RED PEPPER & TOMATO SOUP WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the tomatoes, onion and peppers in a roasting tin, toss with the oil and season. Nestle in the garlic and thyme sprigs, then roast for 25-30 mins until all the veg has softened and slightly caramelised. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the tin, strip the leaves off the thyme and discard the stalks and garlic skins. Mix the vinegar into the tin then blend everything in a bullet blender or using a stick blender, adding enough water to loosen to your preferred consistency (we used around 150ml).
• Reheat the soup if necessary, taste for seasoning, then spoon into two bowls and top each with a spoonful of ricotta, a few basil leaves, the seeds and a drizzle of oil. Serve with bread for dunking.

CREAMY RED PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.
• Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

ROASTED RED-PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, celery, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth and 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a simmer, then uncover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the soup and sour cream to a blender and, keeping the lid slightly ajar, puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir in half of the cilantro. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with the cheese and the remaining cilantro. Serve with the rolls.

RED LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Start by putting the lentils in a sieve and rinsing them under cold water to remove some of the excess starch.
• Heat the oil in a pot and add in the onions. Turn the heat down to low and leave the onions to gently cook until soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato purée until all the onions have been coated and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Next, add in the red pepper and mix in with the onions.
• In the meantime, dissolve the two stock cubes in a litre of boiling water.
• Add the red lentils and the ham stock to the pot and stir. Leave the soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• If you would like to purée the soup, do so now. I like to give it a few quick pulses with my stick blender to remove any large chunks of onion or pepper, but don´t purée it until completely smooth.
• Season the soup to taste with chilli flakes (if you like a little spice), salt and pepper.
• Serve hot, with some crusty bread and butter. The soup can also be easily reheated the next day or frozen.

RED PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Place the red bell pepper, onion and garlic in the saucepan and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Pour in the chicken broth, stirring well, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
• Run the soup through a strainer and return the liquid to the saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and the ground black pepper and allow to heat through, about 5 to 10 minutes.