Roasted Red Bell Pepper And Carrot Soup With Tarragon - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups chicken broth or 6 cups vegetable broth
4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

Preparation

Melt the olive oil and butter together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raw bell peppers, carrots, onion, shallots and pear. Reduce the heat to low, and cook the vegetables for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often until very soft. Add the garlic, and cook for several minutes longer, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
Add the broth, roasted peppers, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to the saucepan, and stir to mix. Bring the broth to a low boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches if necessary, pour the soup into the bowl of a food processor or the jar of a blender fitted with a metal blade, and puree until smooth. (Or puree the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender.) Pour the soup back into the pot in which you cooked it. Stir in the tarragon, season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot or chilled. This soup, refrigerated in an airtight container, will keep for several days. It also freezes well.