Chilled Oven-Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
8 yellow bell peppers
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil-more for drizzling
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups lower-salt chicken broth
Generous pinch of granulated sugar
Kosher salt or fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup sliced fresh chives (1/4 inch long)
Instructions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Put the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven, turning every 15 minutes, until browned and wrinkled all over, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven, cover with a dishtowel, and set aside to cool. Seed, peel, and cut the peppers into quarters.
Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the peppers and any accumulated juices, broth, sugar, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1-1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Strain the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl, using a ladle to push as many of the solids through as possible. Discard the solids in the sieve and refrigerate the soup for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Once chilled, season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in chilled bowls, sprinkled with the chives. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serves 6.
Recipe by Annie Wayte via finecooking.com