Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Summer Soup

Roasted red peppers make amazing summer soup. Be that as it may, it doesn't mean that you need to spend time roasting peppers over an open flame. Roasted peppers, like these Macedonian-inspired ones, are an easy solution to make a quick meal, without having any singed eyebrows.


Along with peppers, I like to use Vidalia onions. This variety of onion is extremely sweet and can actually be tolerably and comfortably eaten raw.


I've recently learned that I've been pronouncing the name incorrectly. I was pronouncing it "Vee-dah-lee-ah", with soft, romantic 'A's. Since they originated in the southern states, it is actually pronounced "Vie-day-lee-ah", with a slight Southern twang. Who knew?


In any case, olives are always pronounced "olives", no matter where you go! A handful of pitted Kalamata olives provide great flavour to this soup.


Roughly chop the above three ingredients and place them in a sauce pot.


Add some water to cover.


You can also use broth instead of water. However, if you don't have any broth, or in my case, "don't feel like it", plop in one or two organic bouillon cubes. I prefer to use an organic variety, as other ones tend to include MSG. (No, thank you.)


For the seasoning component, some oregano and concentrated tomato paste work well. Regular tomato paste works just fine. I just like to use the double-concentrated version, as it is available in a tube and can be re-sealed.


Note: Salt can be added to taste. Although, you probably will not need it.


Soup is quite simple. All you have to do is boil the ingredients together.


When the vegetables are cooked, I like to incorporate a shot of white balsamic vinegar, for some balancing acidity.


At this point, use an immersion blender to purée the mixture until it is silky smooth.


Your end result should look something like this.


I like to serve this soup with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a dollop of homemade yoghurt cheese. (For directions on how to make your own yoghurt cheese, click here.)


Summer never tasted so good!

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