Yellow Bell Pepper Soup

I just know any day now soup weather will be here to stay. Every morning I open the door and it feels like it is here for only about a hour. Then the temperature spikes and it is still sweltering hot.

Well I just could not wait any longer, I had to make a pot of soup when I saw bell peppers on sale. I bought some beautiful yellow bell peppers to make Yellow Bell Pepper Soup. This recipe was inspired by a cup of soup I had at a local Italian restaurant called Chianti. One of my clients is an Engineer who specializes in aviation and sport fields. I do spec writing and presentations for him. One Christmas he took all of us to lunch at Chianti to celebrate. The Yellow Bell Pepper Soup was his first recommendation. It is a chef special from their menu and not always available. It was so delicious. I had never had anything like it before. So of course I set out to make it a home. I started with a red pepper soup recipe and tried to make it with as little fat and cream as I could. It turned out wonderful. It is such a beautiful color and very creamy. I have made it several times now. Once I roasted and peeled the peppers and then made the soup. It gives it a smoky flavor in the background. I do think it is sweeter made with fresh peppers though. Believe it or not it is also great as a chilled soup. Enjoy this soup as a starter or lunch with half a sandwich. I think I need to make a double batch next time. It is that good!

Yellow Bell Pepper Soup

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 large yellow bell peppers, deseeded, chunked

2 shallots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup fat free half and half

Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

In a 4 qt soup pot saute the shallots, garlic, and yellow 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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Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
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Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky