A Talley Mistake Makes the Best Soup Ever!

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When I saw these cute little Orange Peppers in my Talley Farms CSA box, I was intrigued. On their box – fun facts letter, they said they grew them by mistake but were glad they did. And so am I! These little peppers make the best soup ever!

I wanted to use them in a soup that incorporated Mediterranean flavors to pair with a menu that was filled with spices and vegetables from that region. Ginger and fennel seed were the perfect combination to achieve that goal for me. With the color of the peppers, adding some turmeric into the soup was an excellent way to result in the most beautiful golden-orange color of creamy deliciousness!

The best part of this recipe is that there is no need to spend time roasting and peeling the peppers. They are chopped and sautéed in a pan and blended directly into the soup base to form a luscious texture. I suggest you go easy on the heat with the cayenne pepper and taste as you go. The ginger adds heat to the soup so the cayenne takes it to the next level and you want to be careful not to overly spice it. However, it you make an error and overspill the cayenne, a little pinch of sugar will assist you in calming down the heat.

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GINGER-FENNEL ORANGE PEPPER SOUP

I served this soup in a recent cooking class that I held and it got rave reviews!!
 
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds sweet orange bell peppers (or any other color or combination of sweet peppers)
  • 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium potato (about 4 ounces), peeled and chopped
  • One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 5-5 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5-6 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Chop the peppers coarsely after discarding all the seeds. Pour the oil into a large, wide pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the peppers, onions, potatoes, ginger, fennel seeds, turmeric, cumin, and 1/8 tsp cayenne. Add additional cayenne to taste. The ginger creates some heat as well, so you may want to limit the amount of cayenne, as I did. Stir and fry until all the vegetables just start to brown.
  2. Add 2 cups of the stock and the salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
  3. Ladle the soup in batches into a blender and blend until smooth. (Alternately, you can use an immersion blender and blend the soup right in the cooking pot) Pour the blended soup into a clean pot. Add the remaining stock, thinning the soup out as much as you like. Add the cream and mix it in. Adjust salt, as needed. Heat through before serving.
Note
  • I served the soup with a dollop of créme fraîche and a sprig of fennel fronds
(Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Soups) 
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