Napa Farmhouse 1885™: Roasted Red Pepper Soup (in a Slow Cooker)

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Roasted Red Pepper Soup (in a Slow Cooker)

The middle of winter begins a weekly blog series called Comfort Food Feast at Food Network comprised of the dishes you want to eat when it is cold outside and the days are still short. The schedule is as follows:

JANUARY

7: Soup

14: Pasta

21: Potatoes

28: Macaroni and Cheese

FEBRUARY

4: Dips for the Big Game

11: Chocolate for Valentine's Day

18: Cheesy

25: Pizza

MARCH

3: Peanut butter

10: Bacon

17: Cake

For Soup Week, I am sharing an easy and delicious recipe chock-full of roasted red bell peppers. The surprise ingredient is a boiled sweet potato that adds sweetness and thickens the base without added cream. The jolt of vitamin c and vitamin A included in this soup is off the charts. I double or triple the batch and keep in the fridge to eat all week. Easy to heat and perfect for lunch or, paired with a big salad and whole grain or gluten free bread, makes a wonderful supper.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup
serves 4

4 red bell peppers
1/2 small sweet potato, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt
black pepper
1 lime, sliced
Italian parsley, chopped
4 radishes, chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, chopped

Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half. Seed and devein. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and place under broiler. Broil until skin is completely blackened. Remove from oven and place peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Allow to cool. Peel cooled peppers and roughly chop. Set aside.

Place sweet potatoes in a medium bowl and cover with water. Microwave until soft, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onions, cooked sweet potatoes, cumin, sundried tomatoes and a pinch each salt and pepper to skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add to the bowl of a slow cooker, along with the reserved peppers and the stock.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Puree in batches in a blender or (my preferred method) with an immersion blender until it is a smooth as you like (I like a bit of texture). Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve garnished with lime slices, parlsey, radishes and red onion.