Roasted Red Pepper Soup Three Ways

Last week roasted red pepper soup was on my mind and it turns out it was on others', too. Colleen was roasting peppers and making hers from scratch. Anne JP started with an organic soup base and added a can of pumpkin which was intriguing. And, then I saw Giada making it on Food TV. She used jarred peppers and a potato to thicken hers. The three different versions all sounded good.

Today, I tried Anne JP's inventive soup. It requires a roasted red pepper soup base, which lo and behold, was in Wegman's when I went looking for it in the organic section. FYI -The pumpkin does not dominate. It makes the soup rich and thick. If you want a smoother soup, you could leave out the rice.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup - Anne's Way

1 16 oz. container of Pacific Roasted Red Pepper Soup (found in the organic soup section)1 large can of pumpkin puree

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. chili powder

salt to taste

Milk for consistency (I used 2 cans 2% evaporated milk) 1/2 c. brown rice

2 cups water

Combine ingredients and simmer gently until rice is cooked and the flavors mingle, approximately 45 minutes. Roasted Red Pepper Soup - Colleen's Way

It is a really basic soup. I roast the peppers myself. About 6 big ones. Cut them in half, take out the seeds and broil. Then pop the black peppers in a plastic bag and let them sweat for 15 minutes until the skin slips off. Don’t be too particular, as a little skin left over or black stuff is fine.I saute onions and celery until soft in olive oil (just like the carrot soup). Add some garlic and saute for a minute. Add chopped, peeled peppers and some chopped basil. Add 6-8 cups chicken stock. Salt and Pepper to taste. Cook for 30 minutes. Blend in batches in blender. Add a little butter (2 tablespoons) and adjust seasoning. You could add some chopped advocado and cheese to these just before serving and serve with tortilla chips to take it out of the realm of medicinal and too good for you into the realm of cheesy/fat deliciousness!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup - Giada's Way

She sauteed chopped onions until they began to sweat, added chopped carrots (to cut the acidity of the peppers), fresh thyme, salt, and a cubed russet potato to thicken the soup. She used two jars of roasted red peppers in water (not brine), chopped them up, added them to the pot and covered it all with chicken stock. Then, simmered for 1/2 hour and pureed with a hand blender.

If you have a favorite way of making roasted red pepper soup, please share!