Cold, snowy day today, but I am enjoying some hot soup for lunch.
Spiced Carrot and Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbl olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
6 large red bell peppers
1 pound of carrots, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika (sweet not hot)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbl harissa (optional)
In a large pot:
Heat the oil until hot and add the onions and garlic. Cook until lightly browned (approx 5-10 min). Add the peppers and cook until they are slightly softened (approx. 10 min). Add the carrots and cook for another 5 min. Add the spices and cook for 1 more minute. Add the salt and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender (approx 25-30 min). Use an upright or immersion blender to puree until smooth. Stir in the harissa (optional).
Optional serving suggestions/ garnishes:
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Lemon wedges
A few spoonfuls of cooked couscous per bowl.
This makes quite a lot so DH and I usually halve the recipe since there are just the two of us in the house. The soup is good plain, with a little couscous for bulk, or (my favorite) with grilled cheese.
