DEC
09
SOS Progressive Dinner: Roasted Red Pepper Soup
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Did you know that nearly 1 in 4 children in the United States faces hunger? That is a sobering thought, but especially during this season when time should be spent with family rather than worrying about where the next meal will come from.
I’d like to help spread that message and that’s why I’ve teamed up with Share our Strength and 50 food bloggers to put together a delicious virtual progressive dinner this Holiday Season.
As the mother to two young children, I personally cannot even fathom how heartbreaking and difficult it is to truly go hungry. I hear “I’m starving,” “I need a snack,” or some variation of those phrases many times throughout the day, but to really mean those words. That is something else. The hope is that with the Share Our Holiday Table progressive dinner, we will be able to raise awareness of childhood hunger in our own country.
Share our Strength would like to end child hunger by the year 2015. Just $1.00 can help a child receive 10 healthy meals. For more information and to see how you can help, visit Share our Strength’s website at www.strength.org. If you aren’t able to make a donation today, consider purchasing their holiday cards instead.
My contribution to the Share Our Holiday Table menu is a Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Paprika and Cilantro Cream. It is adapted from a recent cookbook purchase, Soups, Stews and Chilis. The photo was just too vibrant and beautiful to pass up the recipe. Served with a large salad and a crusty loaf of bread this soup can be a delicious and warming meal all on it’s own.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Paprika and Cilantro Cream
adapted from Soups, Stews and Chilis
Ingredients:
Cilantro Cream
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro leaves
2 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper, to tasteSoup
8 red bell peppers, roasted, skins removed, and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3-4 cups vegetable broth, adjust for consistency as desired
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup half and half
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
salt and pepper, to tasteDirections:
For the Cilantro Cream:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until serving.For the Soup:
Cook the oil and garlic together in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic is foamy and straw colored, about 6-10 minutes. Stir in the onion, increase the heat to medium and cook until the onion is tender, 5-7 minutes.Stir in the cumin and smoked paprika, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and flour, cook for 1 minute. Then, gradually whisk in 3 cups of broth, careful to smooth any lumps. Stir in the bay leaves, chopped roasted peppers.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the peppers are very tender, about 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Puree the soup in a food processor, about 1/3 of the amount at a time, until smooth. Each batch will require about 2 minutes time. Return the soup to the pot.
Stir in the half and half, sherry, and additional broth if needed. Heat the soup over medium-low heat until hot. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve each portion drizzled with the cilantro cream.
About the Author:
Katie’s lifelong interest in cooking good food has shown her that part of the goodness in life is enjoying delicious food with friends and family. She is: Writer. Photographer. Recipe Developer. Website Founder. Lover of all things good in life. Wife & Mom. A mix of great recipes, family memories, and yummy photography is what Katie serves up each week at GoodLife Eats™. Katie resides in Colorado with her husband and two children.
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Hello! I'm Katie Goodman, author of GoodLife Eats Etc. where I share what I find in my life. A mix of great recipes, family memories, adventures, good reads, and anything else that I love is what you will discover here.
This soup looks wonderful. I love soups and crockpot meals in the winter!
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Katie ~ really, really REALLY one of my favorite soups; had it the first time in a restaurant, came home and found a recipe – sooooo good!
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Oh Em Gee I can’t even believe how good this looks….such a beautiful color!!
I’m loving the cream in the middle, too. And the recipe sounds so simple!!!
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i am drooling right now…and i just ate breakfast!!!
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I’ve been drooling over this for some time now, ever since you sent the photos. Now that I have the recipe, I am definitely adding it to our menu.
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Beautiful! Love roasted red peppers.
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Oh my, I don’t know what’s more beautiful, the soup or your photos! Five-stars all around. So glad this event brought so many of us bloggers together.
-Lexie | Lexie’s Kitchen
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This is beautiful Katie. Thanks for helping to feed hungry kids and for supporting Share our Strength! xoxoxox
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Great recipe… looks wonderful!
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Beautiful recipe! I agree, I can’t imagine my son not having three meals every single day. To just think of children not having a warm meal breaks my heart.
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That soup looks like a holiday celebration! Smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices and the cilantro cream is a brilliant garnish.
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It heartbreaking that so many children die of hunger everyday. …
I love this soup. and love all the smoky flavors you have done here. What a gorgeous color!
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This is one gorgeous soup! I love roasted red peppers, so I am guessing this will grace my dinner table in the coming weeks!
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Love the colors of the soup. But what I’m really attracted to are your beautiful latte bowls. I’ve never seen them sold with those cute saucers! Where did you get them?
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Katie replied: — December 10th, 2010 @ 9:25 AM
They actually didn’t come together. The saucers came with tiny mugs. I’ll see if I can find them online for you and reply back later.
Katie replied: — December 10th, 2010 @ 9:45 AM
Here you go, Camilla. This Porcelain Demitasse Cups and Saucers Set of 4 looks exactly like what I have. I just used the saucers to put under the latte bowls. I don’t know if this is the same brand because I didn’t purchase – they were from a BlogHer Food gift bag.
That soup looks incredible Katie. I love the texture! I can’t wait to try it.
Awesome job for Share Our Strength!
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I love this post! The soup is beautiful and the idea of red pepper and paprika soup sounds amazing on a freezing cold evening like tonight
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Wow. This soup looks fantastic. I love that it is easily converted to gluten free. Thanks for sharing! Incredible pictures too!
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I’m a huge fan of soups and this one made me smile big, specially because of your activism. Way to go!
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I’m a few days late on commenting… But, I just wanted to say that this looks absolutely lovely!
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I found this page through Facebook (my friend posted it). After reading it, I clicked Like and shared it myseld. More power.
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Maybe this soup will help me start liking roasted red peppers!
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That roasted red pepper soup looks so good!
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I made this yesterday for our Souper Bowl party and it was a HIT! I did not add the cream for our vegan friend until she was doen taking her portion and then added. Not really necessary, but adds to the creaminess. Also, buy the best quality smoked paprika you can find. It is worth it! Thanks!
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I was just wondering if you can leave out the dry sherry in the recipe?? or is there something you can replace it with?
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Katie replied: — January 30th, 2013 @ 9:16 AM
You can leave it out.