A chilled soup that hits the spot on a hot summer day.
Peppers are low in calories and all varieties are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber.
Given their range of flavors and heat, they can also add a lot of character to otherwise bland recipes!
Did you know that red peppers offer the most nutritionally, because they’ve been on the vine the longest?
Compared to green bell peppers, red peppers have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C.
Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Ingredients
1 large onion
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
4 large red peppers
2 bay leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp caster sugar
Pinch of dried chili flakes
500ml chicken or vegetable stock (roughly 2 1/4 cups)
1 celery stick, diced
Grated zest of ½ lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
Basil leaves, roughly chopped
Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Sour cream
Salt
Preparation
1. Peel the onion and chop it roughly. Heat up the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sage and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
2. While the onion is cooking, halve the peppers lengthways. Take a half of one pepper, remove the seeds and white flesh and finely dice. Set aside for later.
3. Remove the seeds from the rest of the peppers, roughly chop them and stir into the saucepan with the onions. Add ¾ teaspoon salt, bay leaves, ground cumin, sugar and chili flakes.
4. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a light simmer. Cover the pot and cook on a very low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Once the peppers are soft, remove the bay leaves from the soup. While still hot, use a hand stick blender to pulverise the soup until it is totally smooth. This may take a few minutes. Let cool down a little.
6. Once the soup is just warm, stir in the celery, diced red pepper, lemon zest and garlic. Leave until it comes to room temperature and then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
7. Remove the soup from the fridge half an hour before serving. Stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide into serving bowls, sprinkle over a generous amount of chopped basil and parsley, add a spoonful of sour cream per portion and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy!
