gourmet babble

• 3 roasted red bell peppers (seeds and ribs removed), chopped
• 4 cloves roasted garlic, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 - 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste), ground
• 1/4 tsp ancho pepper (or to taste), ground (optional)
• 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper (or to taste), ground (optional)

Head a medium size heavy-bottomed pan to medium and melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and cumin; saute until soft, approximately 10 minutes. (Be careful to stir frequently as to not let the bottom burn.) Add potato and saute another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers; saute another 5 minutes. Add the stock and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Once ingredients have been pureed, return to the pot and warm the soup on low heat. Add the ground chile pepper(s) and stir; let sit for 5 minutes to allow the pepper to percolate. Add the warmed cream and stir until well-mixed.

Makes 3-4 dinner portions or 6 side portions. The sodium in this dish is largely from the broth, the carrots, and the cream; the pot I made last night was approximately 180mg total sodium, thus giving us 45 mg per serving.