Roasted Pepper & Potato Soup

Sundays are becoming my favorite days to make soup (and, yes, I resisted the urge to title this post “Souper Sunday”). There’s something so cozy about listening to music, chopping veggies, and letting a big pot of soup simmer on the stove and permeate the house with an aroma that can only be described as comfy. Or as I often tell Dave, “It smells like Thanksgiving!” It’s not even so much about the smell as the whole general feeling of contentedness.

Dave and I have started a little tradition with our friends Dan and Em (who, at this point, are more like family): much like the friendship plate that circulates with cookies, we pass back and forth a mason jar filled with different varieties of soup. Dave will bring over curried white bean soup and they’ll give back potato leek soup. I’ll send over stuffed pepper soup, and they’ll drop off spicy chili.

For this reason, and because I like freezing leftover soup for late nights when we don’t have time to cook, I tend to make big batches. This soup supposedly serves 12, but realistically is more like 6. Because when you eat soup for dinner, it’s hard to stop at one bowl.

Roasted Pepper & Potato Soup

• 3 bell peppers, diced (red, orange, & yellow work best)
• 4 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 tbsp and 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 cups diced potatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine diced peppers with one tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt in a roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute onions in remaining tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Stir in the roasted peppers, chilies, cumin, paprika, salt, and peppers. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Stir in potatoes, broth, and milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in lemon juice. Use a stick blender to puree soup to desired consistency.

*Recipe adapted from: Taste of Home