Description
Ina Garten’s roasted red pepper soup offers a rich, velvety blend of sweet peppers and creamy textures. Warm spices and smooth pureed ingredients create a comforting Mediterranean-inspired dish you’ll savor with each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 red bell peppers (1.6 lbs/750g)
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes, jarred
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2.5 cups/600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1–2 tbsps homemade pesto
- 2 tbsps creme fraiche, for topping
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Roasting Preparation: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F), positioning rack in central location for even heat distribution.
- Vegetable Preparation: Slice red bell peppers into substantial chunks, spread on expansive baking sheet alongside whole garlic cloves, generously drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Roasting Process: Bake peppers for 40 minutes until edges exhibit deep caramelization and slightly charred appearance, developing rich, concentrated flavors.
- Foundational Sauté: In substantial cooking pot, warm olive oil over medium heat, introducing chopped yellow onion and sautéing until translucent and softly golden.
- Flavor Layering: Introduce sun-dried tomatoes and roasted peppers with caramelized garlic into pot, pouring vegetable stock and allowing mixture to simmer, melding complex flavors for approximately 10 minutes.
- Texture Transformation: Remove from heat, allowing slight cooling, then employ immersion blender to create velvety, uniform soup consistency, ensuring smooth texture throughout.
- Final Refinement: Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice, balancing flavors and adding bright, zesty undertone.
- Elegant Presentation: Ladle soup into serving bowls, adorning with delicate creme fraiche swirl and vibrant pesto, serving alongside rustic crusty bread for enhanced dining experience.
Notes
- Roast for Maximum Flavor: Charring peppers caramelizes natural sugars, intensifying their sweetness and developing deeper, more complex taste profiles.
- Garlic Transformation: Roasting whole garlic cloves softens their sharp bite, creating a mellow, nutty essence that seamlessly blends into the soup’s rich texture.
- Blending Technique: Use an immersion blender for smooth, velvety consistency, avoiding over-blending to maintain subtle vegetable textures and prevent turning soup watery.
- Brightness Booster: Fresh lemon juice acts as a flavor enhancer, cutting through the soup’s richness and bringing vibrant, zesty notes to the final dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 5mg