Would you believe, that it wasn't long ago, when I thought yellow, red, and orange peppers grew, on orange, red, and yellow pepper plants?
I felt really stupid after I found out that red and yellow peppers were just ripened green peppers, red being fully ripened. I was amazed.
Around 5 years ago when I made that discovery I was working in a certain restaurant. The manager said something about sweet peppers. It came up that I could tell her that red peppers were ripened green peppers.
She didn't believe me. It gave me great pleasure to tell her how wrong she was. I was smug as I told her, "everyone knows that!"
She said I was kidding her. The next day she came to work. She said she looked it up, and found out that I was right. I didn't confess, that I too, had thought the same thing.
One thing I find is that yellow and orange peppers are often marked down. They are almost always in perfect shape. I just don't know why they aren't as popular. I myself usually go for red or green.
Lately we're trying to save money while we wait for our first real paycheck in a while. We try to get as many deals and marked down items as possible.
This time I decided to take the bunch of yellow and orange peppers that cost around 2 dollars. There were no real blemishes that bothered me, so I took them not knowing what I would do with them.
I thought I would either put them in a salad or a stir fry. Then I woke to another gloomy cool rainy day. This made me want soup again. I decided to make creamy roasted pepper soup.
Marc was not excited that I would make soup so soon after the last one. He changed his mind after tasting it.
The peppers were roasted in a 425F oven along with some garlic and onion. Roasting the onion and garlic makes them sweeter and less strong.
Ideally I would have liked to roast them on a fire, but the apartment building owners frown upon setting fires indoors. I don't know what their problem is.
After removing the peppers from the oven, they were covered and left to cool. After the peel comes off easily. I saved the peels for soup broth.
Even though there were onions and garlic roasted, I decided to saute some fresh ones to add to the soup.
I blended them while they were cool, instead of waiting to blend them at the end, which was my original plan.
My little blender is small so I would have to do it in parts anyway.
I For thickening I made a roux using vegetable broth. In the end I added soy cream. I like soy cooking cream for it's neutral taste. This pepper soup could go into any direction. If I used warm eastern spices I would have used coconut cream or milk.
Roasted orange and yellow pepper soup
750g peppers
200g onion to roast plus 100g
50g garlic to roast plus 20g
40g shallot
100g potato
50g tomato paste
200g tomatoes
100g wine (optional)
20g balsamic
20g chili
250g soy cream
2 tablespoons flour
25g vegan butter
25g agave
10g fresh basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme fresh thyme
t teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 litre vegetable broth
I wasn't going to spice this one up, but changed my mind at the last minute. I needed some excitement on a dreary day.
These chilies were not super hot for me anyway.
After browning the onions and garlic I added the tomatoes and let everything cook down for a while.
Add half the vegetable broth and cook for 10 minutes or so.
I used a homemade broth with carrots, celery, parsley, garlic, onion, bay leaves, peppercorn and vegetable scraps that were saved. It included the peel from the peppers. After cooking covered with water for an hour, add more salt and pepper to your liking.
When the potatoes are tender, cool the mix down and blend.
I had to do it in several parts. I could have hand blended everything but I wanted the blender to make it super silky.
It would all be combined into the roux for thickening.
To make the roux, warm butter in a pan or pot but don't let it cook too much.
Add the flour and keep stirring to get the lumps out.
I added the tomato paste at this point because I forgot to add it to the previous mix as I cooked it.
Slowly add the rest of the broth stirring on low until everything is smooth. You shouldn't walk away. Add a little liquid and stir, then add more until it's all mixed and smooth.
Put the two blended bowls into the roux mixture and stir.
If I would do this again I would make the roux then add the chunky veg and cook. Then I would blend everything at the end. I wasn't sure where I was going while making this, but I got there.
At the end I added the cream and some basil. I don't know why I waited to add the cream but I did.
This was garnished with a thin slice of toasted baguette which was store bought. I sometimes make bread, but we have many good baguettes here in Montreal so I picked up a loaf.
I drizzled an herb oil that I made for the last soup. You can get the recipe here
This could be varied by adding warm spices, ginger and coconut milk. Sweet potato or squash could be used as well.
I used what was a good price, or already in my fridge.
This was an inexpensive, yet enjoyable lunch.
Thanks for dropping by and have a great day.
Photos taken with a Nikon D7500 by me, except for the ones of me, taken by my other half