Roasted Red Pepper & Corn Soup

It might seem like a bad choice to make soup during the summer but it’s actually a great way to experience the taste of peaking produce. This recipe calls for some of my favorite summertime vegetables – heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, and sweet corn -  and concentrates their flavors with a two-step cooking process. It’s the perfect thing to eat at the kitchen table or out in the yard when the fog rolls in from the beach at night. Freeze any leftovers and you’ll have a taste of summer to last you well into autumn.

Roasted Red Pepper & Corn Soup:

• Halve and de-seed 5 large red bell peppers, quarter and core 4 large heirloom tomatoes, and peel and halve 3 large shallots.
• Toss the vegetables and 3 cloves garlic* with canola oil and salt and place skin-side up in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Roast the vegetables in a 425F oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the skin has started to char and pucker.
• Pull the skin off the vegetables and place into a large stock pot with 2 1/2 c. chicken stock and a large pinch of paprika.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer back to a pot and keep on a simmer until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, remove the kernels from an ear of corn.
• Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a pan, add in the corn, 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until tender.
• Divide the corn into bowls, top with the soup, and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves and crumbled feta cheese.**

Serves four

*Leave the skins on, then squeeze the garlic from the skin before placing it in the pot.
**Optional, but delicious.