Ingredients
Scale
- 4 – 5 large red peppers, quartered and seeded
- 1 head garlic, minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon thyme, plus another ¼ teaspoon reserved
- 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 28 oz. can (about 3 ½ cups) of whole tomatoes (if you don’t have a hand blender use a can of crushed tomatoes)
- ¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 cups of chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on (have a much as you like!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Onto a large cookie sheet, place the quartered red peppers skin side down.
- Sprinkle the red peppers with the minced garlic and drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup of olive oil.
- Sprinkle with a little pepper, salt, the basil, thyme and rosemary.
- Place the cookie sheet with the peppers into the oven to roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Once they finish roasting, take the cookie sheet from the oven and allow cool slightly.
- If you don’t have a hand blender follow this step. If you have a hand blender, move directly to the next step and disregard. Puree the roasted red peppers along with all the ingredients on the cookie sheet. The mixture should be smooth. You can use a blender or food processor.
- Into a large soup pot or stock pot, drop in the cooked red peppers along with the oil, garlic and herbs. Anything left on the cookie sheet needs go into the soup pot with the peppers.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the can of tomatoes.
- Add the balsamic vinegar.
- Using a hand blender, purée the tomatoes and red peppers together until smooth.
- Add the Bay leaves and reserved thyme.
- Cook for about 10 minutes on medium until heated through.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream while on low heat combine and continue cooking for five minutes.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the soup is finished cooking, serve hot with a nice crusty bread on the side.
- Sprinkle each bowl with some grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
