Roasted Red Pepper Soup

A lovely reddish-pink soup with the smoky flavor of roasted red peppers and the tang of buttermilk.

Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
4 cups chopped cleaned leeks, white and light green parts only
4 roasted red bell peppers*, peeled seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet and cook leeks over medium heat until soft and tender, about 6 minutes. Add roasted peppers and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and carefully purée in a blender or food processor. Add buttermilk, salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper and process until combined. Chill before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

*Roasting Peppers:

• Roast peppers by placing them under the broiler, holding them over a gas flame or roasting them on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet until charred.
• In the broiler: Preheat broiler; place peppers on broiler rack and broil, turning frequently, until bubbly and blackened on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer peppers into a paper bag; close bag and set aside until cool, about 15 minutes.
• Over a gas flame: (If only one or two peppers are being roasted, this method may be preferable) Holding the pepper in tongs over a medium-low to medium flame, turn pepper as it bubbles and blackens, about 15 minutes. Transfer pepper into a paper bag; close bag and set aside until cool, about 15 minutes more.
• In a cast-iron skillet: Heat large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, using no oil; when hot, place peppers in skillet and roast, turning frequently, until bubbly and blackened on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer peppers into a paper bag; close bag and set aside until cool, about 15 minutes.
• After cooling, peel peppers by gently pulling off skin.

Tip: Try to remove as much of the skin and blackened parts as possible from the roasted peppers. This will keep the soup a brighter red color.