Red Pepper Soup

I love peppers: raw, broiled, sautéed, steamed, stir fried...

Ingredients
7 red bell peppers
3 carrots, peeled
3 shallots
garlic clove
1 pear, peeled and cored
15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
60ml (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1L (4 cups) Chicken broth
2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) red pepper flakes
Dash of cayenne pepper
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Slice thin 6 peppers, the carrots, shallots, garlic, and pear.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet and sauté vegetables and pear over medium-low heat until tender (8-10 minutes).
3. Add stock, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 25-30 minutes.
4. While soup is cooking, roast remaining red pepper under a hot broiler, rotating them until completely charred. Put them in a paper bag for 5-10 minutes to "sweat". Rub off blackened skin and remove seeds. Drain on paper towels.
5. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender, adding the roasted pepper. Pour purée soup back into the pan and reheat over low heat.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

This recipe was taken from The Martha Stewart Cookbook, 1995.