Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup

This is a soup that really hit the spot this week. I have needed to be on a simple soft diet for a few days, as I've been in the hospital to have a gall bladder procedure. Consequently, I am shuffling around the house with a pillow held to my mid-section, and a supply of easy meals in the fridge.This soup was made on Thursday morning just before I headed to the hospital. It has been lunch and late night snack after my return home.

I first thought that this would be a tomato based soup when I saw the recipe title, but no. This is a thick and rich carrot and red pepper soup with just a hint of tomato and a good dose of curry. The consistency is smooth and velvety, as the soup is pureed in the blender before going back into the soup pot to sit a bit and mature the spices. I told SB that the next time I make it, I'm going to throw a few handfuls of cooked rice and a handful of chopped parsley into the soup just before serving.

So here's recipe - next to nothing calorie-wise and full of vegetable flavour! Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 very large sweet red peppers, char-broiled, covered for 15 minutes, then peeled and seeded

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large sweet white onion, small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp hot curry powder

1 bay leaf

1 lb. carrots, peeled and diced small

4 c. reduced salt chicken broth

2 c. water

2 tbsp. tomato paste

½  tsp. Kosher salt

1 tbsp. lemon juice, added just before serving

Making the Soup:

1. Broil the peppers until all the sides are blackened. Remove them to a counter top plate and cover tightly for 15 minutes.
2. While the peppers are roasting, heat the oil in a deep soup pot and add the chopped onion, stirring frequently. Add the garlic mince and cook for another minute.
3. Add the curry powder and the bay leaf, tossing the onions to coat them with the curry. Cook for about a minute, then add the peeled and diced carrots.
4. Toss everything together and pour over the chicken broth and water.
5. Add the tomato paste and Kosher salt. Stir well to break up the tomato paste, lower the heat under the pot to a gentle simmer. Cover loosely to let some steam escape, as the vegetables cook.
6. Just before serving, remove the bay leaf use a hand blender to puree the soup to a smooth thick consistency.
7. Stir in the lemon juice and let the soup sit for  a few minutes while you prep a salad or bread slices.
8. Serve piping hot. I love mine with oyster crackers ...