Cream of Red Pepper Soup

Red bell peppers were on sale recently at my grocery store. These peppers were also some of the largest peppers I have seen. They were about 3" in diameter and 5" or 6" long. I decided to make Cream of Red Pepper Soup. I have also seen Rachael Ray cook a lot with Fresno Chilies. So I bought one for an experiment. She says it adds a fruity heat to recipes. She often uses it in place of red pepper flakes. I use a lot of red pepper flakes, maybe I would like the Fresno chili? I have to admit when I first tasted the soup for seasoning. I was a little disappointed. I could not tell there was a chili in the soup. But after the soup was finished and I sat down to eat, I was very happy. The soup was not spicy, you do not feel the burn on your tongue. What you will find is a nice warming sensation in the back of your throat. I bought three more Fresno Chilies at the store today. More experimenting to come. Below is a photo of the soup with a ham and colby jack quesadilla. It was a great combination.

Cream of Red Pepper Soup

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 extra large red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped

1 red Fresno chili, deseeded and chopped

3 shallots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

3 cups vegetable stock

3/8 cup fat free half and half

Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a 4 qt soup pot sauté the shallots, garlic, and red bell pepper in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the herbs, salt, pepper and stock. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes covered. Take off the stove and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Or pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to soup pot and add half and half, do not let it simmer or boil after adding half and half. Taste for seasoning; adjust to taste, then serve.

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