Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Name: Red Pepper Tomato Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 5 cups.
Ingredients: 2 medium sweet red peppers; 2 cups water; 10 plum tomatoes; 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup chicken broth; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil; 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Vine-ripened plum tomatoes punched up with peppers, garlic and rice wine vinegar make this smooth soup from Irvine, California’s Jane Shapton a summer standout. Serve with cheesy garlic breadsticks and a tossed salad for supper.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet red peppers
2 cups water
10 plum tomatoes
1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Broil red peppers 4 in. from the heat until skins blister. With tongs, rotate peppers a quarter turn. Broil and rotate until all sides are blistered and blackened. Immediately place peppers in a bowl; cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Peel off and discard charred skin. Remove stems and seeds. Finely chop peppers.
In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add tomatoes; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place tomatoes in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
In the same pan, combine the roasted peppers, tomatoes, Anaheim pepper and garlic; heat through. Stir in the broth and vinegar; heat through. Stir in basil. Cool slightly.
In small batches, puree soup in a blender. Return to the pan and heat through. Garnish with cheese.

Editor's Note

Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 80 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 253mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 5g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat.

Originally published as Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup in Cooking for 2 Summer 2006