My mind is totally blown that I have not posted this Scott family standby to the blog yet. This recipe is from Cafe Bernardo--a restaurant I worked at in my college days in Sacramento--it comes with a helping of Nostalgia! This soup is easy, comforting and we return to it at least twice a year. If you like mashed potatoes, you'll like this soup. It can be adapted to a vegetarian diet and/or lightened up (ex: use milk instead of cream, half the butter) in a pinch. I usually serve it with a spinach salad and some buttered rosemary bread on the side.
Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup
1 red bell pepper
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
5 cloves of garlic
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
2 quarts chicken stock, vegetable broth or water
1 cup hot cream
1/4 cup butter
Creme fraiche or sour cream (optional)
Roast the bell pepper by placing under the broiler or over an open flame (like a grill) until the skin is blackened on all sides. Place pepper in a sealable plastic bag and seal top and letter pepper steam for 15 minutes or until the skin can be slipped off. Remove pepper from bag, peel off skin and remove seeds. (You could also buy the bottled roasted pepper but I found the flavor to be a little thinner with the bottled stuff.) Cut pepper into strips.
Place pepper, potatoes, garlic, onion and carrot in a large pot and add stock or water. Cook over medium high heat until potatoes are sofft. Add cream and butter. Puree in a blender, food processor or use an immersion blender to process until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.
