Hooray the sun is shining, itty-bitty green leaf buds popping out on my trees limbs and the daffodils are in full bloom….aaaahhhhh…Spring is finally looking like…well…spring!!!!
I love everything about the newness of the season…well…almost everything. I don’t like the warmer days!!! Whaaaat???
I’m probably in the minority on this topic but it is just weird that it was in the 40’s last week and just yesterday it hit the upper 70’s!! What happened to the 50’s, the 60’s and the 70’s??? (It kind of like aging…I don’t know what happened to my 30’s and now somehow I’m in my late 40’s!)
A few more days where we had some options on what kind of apparel to wear when we go out. Do we want to wear a windbreaker or not? Is a light sweater a good choice? Can I still go braless without anyone noticing when I’m in the freezer section of the store? Nope…all those days are GONE!!!
We are instantly in a world where we have to wear short sleeves or smell “hot.” We are regretting not getting that pedicure last week because we still have “winter” looking feet. (Winter feet aren’t pretty on anyone!) And on the days of running to the bank with a knit hat on to hide our bedhead are OVER!!! (Unless you are in your 20’s and those kids seem to wear knit hats all the time.)
But I’m going to be a rebel this season and do something that I want to do no matter what the thermostat says….I’m going to make some soup…hot soup….none of that room temperature or cold soup….soup that you have to blow on until you see ripples in your broth….soup that will open your sinuses that are clogged from spring allergies…soup that will not only heat up your belly but warm up your soul!!!!
So even though it is warm outside, stay in and make some soup. (And that way you don’t have to deal with all the crazies on the road who have spring fever!)
Easy Roasted Red Pepper Soup
The original version of this is from Food Network (I think) but over the years, I have made this version.
Ingredients
1 cup of potatoes, chopped up into cubes (it was 1 BIG potato)
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, chopped
½ tsp sweet paprika
14 ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped up
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 cups chicken broth
¼ cup sour cream (optional)
1 small bunch chopped cilantro
Olive Oil
juice of one lemon or bottle of good, thick balsamic vinegar
Directions
Swirl a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a your favorite Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
Add the potatoes, celery and red onion. Cook about 8-10 minutes until potatoes start to soften. (Stir frequently)
Add the tomato paste, garlic and paprika and cook another minute.
Add the red peppers and broth.
Bring to a simmer and cover.
Cook another 15 minutes. (Your goal is to fully cook the potatoes.)
Using an immersion blender, blend up the soup. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender but you have to do only a little bit at a time and allow the steam to escape…or it will make a mess…you’ve been warned.)
Taste it.
The original recipe added the sour cream (and a lot more than I’m adding). It does add a nice tanginess but you could probably omit it or just add a little as a garnish.
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with cilantro and give it a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
