My Uncle recently gave me some beautiful sweet peppers from his garden. Well… actually he brought a big bag to share with the rest of my family, but I convinced everyone that I needed them all.
I had no idea going in what I was going to make with them, so I started searching through my cookbook collection and online for inspiration/recipes. I did find a recipe for a Creamy Sweet Pepper Soup by Brooklyn Farm Girl – but her recipe card plugin disappeared, so it only had ingredients without steps. I felt up for the challenge. I gathered similar ingredients – changing quantities and adding a few others. I did realize early on that I was going to need more sweet peppers. Her recipe called for 1.5 lbs. My Uncle’s harvest was 15 oz., so I added an additional pound, bringing me just under 2 lbs. Note: Brooklyn Farm Girl’s recipe card does work now, so I was able to see how far off I was on the directions after the fact. Not too bad…
I was surprised that a one pound bag of organic sweet mini peppers was priced at just under $4.00 – the non-organic one pound bag was $7.99 – That was an easy decision.
I gathered all of my ingredients for the photo op. The amount of rice was more than required, I just wanted my glass bowl to look full. My little meal prep bowls were in the dishwasher and I was too lazy to hand wash. #FoodBloggerProblems
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Pounds Sweet Peppers – Chopped
- 1 Jalapeño – Chopped
- 6-8 Cloves Garlic – Minced
- ½ Medium White Onion – Chopped
- 32 Ounces Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1-2 Cups Cooked Basmati Rice (Any rice would work)
- Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
I chopped the onion and sweet peppers into big chunks… then I minced the garlic.
I added the onion, garlic, fresh thyme and red pepper flakes and olive oil to my pot over medium heat. I stirred frequently for just under 20 minutes while the rice cooked in a separate pot.
I then took the softened onion/sweet pepper mixture and added 1/2 to the Blendtec and added 1/2 the veggie broth for the first batch. I then repeated with the remaining peppers and broth. I used the whisk option on my blender and did leave some texture since that’s my preference, even in creamy soups.
I added the blended peppers back to the main pot over medium heat and then poured in the cup of heavy whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. I let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. It was just past 7:30 p.m. and I had lost most of my light, so my iPhone photos aren’t awesome, but you get the idea. I’ve decided that if I wait for the perfect everything and break out my Canon… I never get to editing and posting.
I did add some of my favorite brand Fresh Gourmet Crushed Ciabatta, Butter and Sea Salt Croutons and 1/4 cup of rice to my bowl. I’m glad I left the rice as an add in, rather than adding it to the soup itself – now I have the option of eating it both ways. You could also omit the heavy whipping cream if you were looking for a non-dairy soup option. I tried the soup straight out of the blender before adding the heavy whipping cream and it was still tasty and fairly creamy.
I loved the soup… as in I licked the bowl clean and then decided to serve up a second bowl. It was that good! I’m excited to have four more portioned out bowls in the fridge for future meals.
I can’t wait for colder temps so I can try out some more soup recipes. Winter soups are a favorite of mine for sure. What’s your favorite soup?
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1 comment
I love soup, too. Unfortunately someone I live with does not. But…I have a few that I love to make: a broccoli soup, mushroom soup, chicken and dumplings, barley and sausage. I especially like that a big pot means a week worth of lunches!