Carrot and Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- Carrot Soup:
- 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 6 C. water, divided
- 6 large carrots (1 lb., 4 oz.), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- Red Pepper Soup:
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 3 medium red bell pepper (about 14 oz.) halved, seeded and diced
- 2/3 C. plus 1/2 C. water, divided
- Red wine vinegar, optional
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To prepare the carrot soup: In a large stainless-steel soup pot, melt the butter. Add 1 C. of the water, the carrots and the onion. Bring to a low simmer, cover and stew for 30 minutes. Remove the cover from the pot. The vegetables should be very soft and the water almost entirely evaporated. If not, continue cooking the vegetables until they are soft. Add the remaining 5 C. water and bring to a boil. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches for 3 minutes each and season with salt, pepper and the lemon juice. The soup should have a velvety consistency and be slightly thicker than heavy cream. To make the red pepper soup: In a 3-qt. saucepan, melt the butter. Add the peppers and the water, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the peppers are very soft. Most of the water will have evaporated during this time. In a blender, puree the peppers with an additional 1/2 C. water and pass the puree through a medium-fine sieve to catch any bits of skin. Season with salt and pepper. If the pepper soup lacks depth, correct it with a few drops of red wine vinegar. If necessary, thin the red pepper soup with a little water so that its consistency is similar to that of the carrot soup. Serve the soups in warm bowls, pouring 6 oz. of the carrot soup into each. Place 2 Tbs. of the red pepper soup in the center; don't stir it.
From "Chez Panisse Cooking" by Paul Bertolli with Alice Waters (Random House, $18).
