Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I had this wild hair the other day to challenge myself and do something I've never done in the kitchen before: roast red peppers and make some soup. I've always been a fan of the roasted red pepper soup from Trader Joe's so I figured I could replicate the yummy soup and make it a little healthier on my own by using fresh ingredients. There's nothing like a nutrition-packed soup that makes me happy. I didn't know what the nutritional stats were when I made this soup, and knowing I got 4 servings out of this surprised me that it was only 83 calories per serving! I served it with a nice vegetable salad on the side and was more than satisfied for dinner. I think it had something to do with the nice flavor punch in the soup. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup
4 SERVINGS
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 70 minutes            READY IN: 80 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 4 large red peppers
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 32 ounces chicken broth (or vegetable broth would work too)
• 1/4 cup milk (optional, but I like my soup a little creamy)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Roast the red peppers. If you have never done this, it's okay. I hadn't either and it's really very simple. Cut the peppers in half and deseed the peppers. Lay them down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut side down. In an oven set to 400ºF, bake the peppers for 15-18 minutes. The peppers should be charred (about 1/2 of the pepper will be black) and then they're ready to be pulled out of the oven.
2. Put the peppers in separate dish and cover for 15 minutes. Peel the outside skin off the peppers and dice.
3. In a large pot, sauté the garlic and onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes. 
4. Add the red peppers, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Blend in a blender until smooth.
6. Place back on the stovetop and add milk, lemon juice, salt, lemon pepper, and black pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes.
7. Serve in a bowl and top with cheese if you'd like. Mozzarella or goat cheese are great options.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

(not including a cheese topping)

    1 1/2 cup serving    83 calories   2g fat   10.3g carbs    6.8g protein    6g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking.