Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Adjust the amount of hot pepper sauce to suit your taste. Serve with crusty bread.

Yield: 6 cups (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 teaspoon chives)

Ingredients

• 8  red bell peppers (about 2 3/4 pounds)
• 5  black peppercorns
• 3  thyme sprigs
• 1  bay leaf
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2  cups  diced onion (about 1 large)
• 1  tablespoon  minced fresh garlic
• 4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3  tablespoons  white wine vinegar
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 15 minutes. Peel and chop.

Place peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaf on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 15 minutes or until onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add bell peppers, cheesecloth bag, broth, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce to pan. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove and discard cheesecloth bag; stir in salt and black pepper. Place half of bell pepper mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to prevent splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl; repeat procedure with remaining soup. Sprinkle with chives.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

99 (22% from fat)

Fat:

2.4g (sat 0.4g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

3.7g

Carbohydrate:

16.7g

Fiber:

1.4g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

1.1mg

Sodium:

465mg

Calcium:

34mg