Cream of pepper soup

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 5 bell peppers
• 1 ½ m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 2 tsp sambal oelek
• 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 ½ tsp sugar
• 50 g butter
• marjoram
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Wash the peppers and place them whole on the oven rack, with a baking sheet lined with parchment paper underneath in case any liquid should leak out. Grill the peppers in the preheated oven until the skin is blackened and blistered. Then place the peppers in a lunch bag and let them cool. Remove the skin and dice the flesh. Be sure to collect the juice from the peppers. Dice the onions and fry them in olive oil. Finely chop the garlic and fry them. Once everything is lightly browned, add the tomato paste, butter, and flour and melt the butter, stirring constantly. Deglaze the broth with the vegetable stock and whisk until smooth. Now add the peppers and juice to the soup and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Add the sambal oelek, heavy cream, and sugar, and puree everything with an immersion blender. Season with salt, pepper, and marjoram, and blend briefly again. You can vary the liquid if you like, and add a little more vegetable broth. This has been my Christmas soup for a few years now. I add tiny fried potato croutons to the soup – it’s a dream!