I had an amazing bowl of
spicy red pepper soup at a cafe last weekend and I immediately decided I needed
to copycat the recipe. Enter the Zesty Roasted Bell Pepper Soup. This soup is
so easy to make and has such an amazing depth of flavor. I love the creamy
texture of the soup even though it's entire dairy and gluten free.
When thinking about what to top this soup with (because I like a
little something added to my soups), I decided some Crispy Paprika Chickpeas
would be the perfect crunchy garnish.
This soup reheats beautifully and lasts in the fridge for several
days. It would be a great starter for any fall meal but it also holds up as the
main event on its own.
Here are the recipes.
Zesty Roasted Bell Pepper
Soup
Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil,
divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 large cloves, whole
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red
pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds red bell peppers
(about 6 small-to-medium peppers), stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice
1 tablespoon white miso
1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
4 cups low-sodium vegetable
broth
2 cans garbanzo beans,
rinsed and drained
Method
Heat the oven to 450
degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil. Toss the chopped bell peppers in
half the olive oil and spread over the two baking sheets. Roast in the oven
until slightly black, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil
over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and garlic. Cook,
stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Then, stir in the crushed
red pepper flakes, cumin, black pepper, and salt; cook just until fragrant, another
minute or two. Stir in the cooked peppers, the chickpeas, and the vegetable
broth. Give it a quick stir.
In a small bowl, whisk
together the lemon juice, miso, and Sriracha, then stir it into the soup.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to
low, cover and cook until the flavors meld. I let mine sit on low, covered, for
about an hour, though you could certainly take it off the stove to serve after
10 or so minutes.
Uncover and use an immersion
blender to puree the soup until smooth.
Divide the soup among
serving bowls. Top with the Crispy Paprika Chickpeas and serve hot.
Crispy Paprika Chickpeas
Ingredients
2 15 oz. cans no-salt-added
canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt,
or more as needed
1 ½ tablespoons smoked
paprika
Method
Drain and rinse the
chickpeas. Spread them out over paper towels and leave them on the counter to
dry for at least 30 minutes.
Then, in a large Ziploc, add
the chickpeas and the remaining ingredients. Shake until well coated.
Spread the chickpeas out on a
foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes,
checking periodically to stir and to see that they are browning but not
burning.
Let cool and enjoy!
Store in an airtight
container for up to 1 week.
