Warm Up: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

With my meal planning for the next few weeks, I have put together a few freezer meals, pulled out some 30 minute meal recipes from the arsenal, and got the ingredients for a one pot meals so that we can spend more time enjoying holiday fun and less time cooking and cleaning up.

A few nights ago, the weather was pretty chilly and very cloudy, and I thought it would be the perfect night for soup and paninis. So I whipped up some creamy roasted red pepper soup with ham and swiss paninis.

This recipe is simple, and is so much better than soup from a box or can.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 large sweet onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 – 15 oz jars of roasted red peppers drained and chopped

2 Cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 cup half and half or cream

2 tsp dried thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat at butter and olive oil. Then, add onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 or 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Next, add red peppers, salt, and pepper, and continue to sauté for another 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes.

Turn off heat, and let the mixture cool slightly. Using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender, blend the soup until desired consistency.

Finally, stir in cream, and serve.