Spicy Red Pepper Soup

This soup recipe is great because it’s incredibly versatile. Serve it hot or cold, make ahead of time, or even switch out the ingredients to suit your tastes! Don’t love basil? Add fresh thyme or tarragon instead. Want something a little richer? Add a splash of cream or some roasted corn. I prefer a slightly chunky and rustic style soup so I haven’t peeled the roasted red peppers in order to keep both the texture and the smokey black charred bits. If you like something a little more refined, peel the peppers after you have roasted them and run through a strainer after blending. Makes 2 large meal sized servings or 4 starter/appy size.

Roast your red peppers and garlic on a hot grill (or in the oven on broil) until they’re tender and nicely charred. Leave the papery husk on the garlic if you’re roasting it on a grill- it will protect the garlic from getting too charred. Remove it if you are roasting in the oven.

Rough chop the roasted peppers, chili and tomato and add everything into a blender or food pro & blend until smooth. If you’re using a small food pro you may have to do it in batches and then blend it all together at the end. Whether you’re serving this soup hot or cold it’s best to let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours so that all of the flavors can marry together. If you prefer something a little less spicy only use half of a red chili and make sure you remove the seeds and white vein flesh.