Roasted Red Pepper Cream Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped basil, plus basil chiffonade, for garnish
salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
black pepper
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup light cream

Preparation

Roast peppers: Turn burner to high.
Impale a red pepper on a long-handled fork and hold over high heat, turning to char skin evenly.
When skin is brown and crackly, immediately plunge pepper in a bowl of ice water; the skin will fall away.
Repeat with remaining peppers.
Seed peppers and chop coarsely.
Alternatively, broil peppers in a preheated broiler 4 inches from element, turning to char all sides evenly.
Combine oil, onions, garlic, basil, salt, cayenne, 3 turns of pepper and roasted peppers in a medium saucepan.
Cook 3 minutes over high heat.
Stir in stock and 1/4 cup cream and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Puree red pepper mixture in food processor or with a hand blender until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Return red pepper soup to pan with remaining cream and heat on medium-low heat before serving, garnished with basil chiffonade.