Chilled Red Pepper Soup With Basil And Croutons Recipes

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.

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to broil.
• Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil on the top rack of the oven, using tongs to turn them as each side blackens. Place the blackened peppers in a paper bag, close tightly and allow them to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Then peel the skin off the peppers and discard the stem and all the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.
• In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Now add the chopped, roasted red bell peppers and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes.
• Next, add the chicken broth and the beans, stirring well. Using a blender, puree the soup in small batches and return to the pot over low heat for 5 minutes.

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 RED PEPPER SOUP WITH GARLIC-PARMESAN CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Roast pepper quarters, skin-up, for 15 minutes, until charred. Remove to paper bag. The steam released as they cool will loosen the skin. Using a small knife, peel off and discard charred skin. Chop peppers.
• Warm 1 Tbsp oil in large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots; cook 3 minutes, until soft, stirring. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add chopped peppers, broth, salt, and pepper. Increase heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat; let simmer 20 minutes, uncovered, until vegetables are very soft. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mixture to food processor or blender; puree. Add broth from pan; blend on high speed until smooth. Chill soup at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using scissors, separate pita to make two rounds. Rub with a garlic half; brush lightly with oil, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Cut each round into 4 wedges.
• To serve: Whisk soup to blend. Thin with additional broth or add salt, if necessary. Top servings with crisps and basil slices.

CHILLED TOMATO & RED PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Cut each pepper half into quarters. Place skin side up on a grill rack and cook until skins have charred. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate. (I put them on the barbeque to keep the heat out of the house.).
• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the peppers and roughly chop them. Cut the tomatoes into chunks.
• Add the peppers and tomatoes to pan, then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add wine and cook a further 5 minutes, then add stock and salt and pepper to taste and continue simmering 20 minutes.
• Process the soup in a blender until smooth. (I let it cool a bit first. Easier to handle, and less like to explode!) Pour into a clean glass or ceramic bowl and leave to cool completely before chilling for at least 3 hours. When soup is cold, season to taste. Serve in bowls topped with croutons, if you wish, and garnished with snipped chives.