Roasted Red Pepper, Leek and Potato Soup

I forgot how dark and rainy fall in the northeast can be. It makes me want to hide under the covers and watch Sell This House all day long. Something about watching other people work makes me warm and happy. Maybe this is why I like teaching Bodystep classes so much? Nonetheless, fall can be so different, depending on where you live.

Fall in my hometown is cold, gray and wet. Ahh, the pleasures of living near Lake Erie. Fall in the Midwest is crisp and sunny, perfect for getting up early and drinking hot apple cider. Fall in the Rockies is fantastic with warm, sunny days and cool, dry nights. Great for hiking during the days and sleeping under heavy blankets at night.

Fall in the Northeast is a little more temperamental. We have swayed from cool, cloudy days to warm, sunny ones. I like to think of this season as a manic depressive one for the region. Maybe fall just needs some lithium. I have some in the lab, I should offer it up to the season. Here fall, would you like some lithium wire? I’ll clean the mineral oil off of it for you! Be careful though, it’s kinda flammable…

Perhaps offering the season some lithium metal is a bad idea. Maybe it just wants some soup. Soup should make it all better. This soup should make it great. Sunny days and cool nights are in my future! Not only is this soup delicious, but it is fun to make. I might just be saying that because it meant I got to use my immersion blender for the first time. You can make this soup with a simple pot and blender, altough I was more than happy to pull out my new toy. This soup has a fabulous texture, great flavor and most importantly, it’s so pretty!

Roasted Red Pepper, Leek and Potato Soup

The Culinary Institute of America: Vegetables

2 red peppers
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups leeks (washed thoroughly and diced
8 cups potatoes (peeled and chopped)
6 cups chicken broth
1 sprig thyme
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Scallions

Roast red pepper under the broiler until the skin is blackened. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Wait ten minutes then peel off the skin. Remove seeds, ribs and stems. Chop up.

Melt butter and olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add red peppers and leeks and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until leeks are softened.

Add potatoes, broth and thyme. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Puree with a handheld blender and strain thru a medium sieve. Puree solids in a blender or food processor. Keep collecting the liquids and blending the solids. Transfer the solids from the blender into a clean pot and do this until all the solids have been blended. Add as much of the liquids as necessary to get to the desired soup thickness. Place over medium-low heat.

Heat heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute on half power. Add warm cream to the soup and stir until no white streaks remain. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle a bowl full of soup with scallions.