#131 Relax, Read and Round up a Roasted Red Pepper Soup

A grilled cheese sandwich and a pepper-tomato soup are an excellent meal for any week night, and a speedy turnaround in the kitchen for those of us who have long work commutes and schedules.
Roasted red peppers are a cook's best friend. If you have roasted red peppers in the fridge you can come up with so many creative ways to cook up a meal, whether it be roasted pepper hummus, stuffed in a sandwich, tossed in some pasta or beat with sour cream or cream cheese for a delicious dip. It always add a little kick along with good nutrition. In my red pepper and tomato soup, the first thing I do after they are sliced and cleaned up is put them on a cookie sheet on foil or parchment paper, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle onion powder and pepper over it before baking.  While they are roasting, I take a break-- relax my feet on the couch and read a book. Once roasted, place them in a ziplock bag and leave for 10 mins. maybe have a cup of coffee?  Once the skins are removed and a few steps later, I use a hand blender to puree the cooked soup and leave it just choppy enough so that there is something to slightly chew on.  If you read my Directions below, I'll show you how you can make a quick, stress-free soup for a comforting dinner.

Ingredients
4 large firm, ripe tomatoes, halved
Onion powder- 1Tblspn
black pepper- 1 tspn
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large red bell pepper
1 Tblspn Ragi or Millet flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves

A simple Whole wheat grilled cheese sandwich is the best accompaniment to the soup...

Directions
Preheat the broiler
In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes and red pepper with 3 tablespoons of the oil to lightly coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes, cut sides down, and the bell pepper on a baking sheet and broil until charred and soft.. Remove and place the pepper in a plastic or paper bag, and cool for 10 minutes. Let the tomatoes and peppers sit until cool enough to handle; peel and chop them.

In a large pot, heat the remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add bell peppers, and tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the stock, vinegar, Ragi powder and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held blender. Add the cream and basil, return to a simmer, and cook, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.