Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Broccoli Pesto Trees

Total Time:

1 hr 30 min

Prep

30 min

Cook

1 hr 0 min

Yield:

4 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• 1/4 cup blanched almonds
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

For the soup:

• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and diced
• 8 slices white bread

Directions

Make the pesto: Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat, tossing, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water to cool, then drain and pat dry. Transfer the broccoli to the food processor with the almonds; add the basil, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse to make a chunky paste. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil. Add the parmesan and pulse to combine. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface; set aside until ready to use.

Make the soup: Preheat the broiler. Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning, until charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside 5 minutes. Peel the peppers with your fingers under running water; discard the stems and seeds. Roughly chop the peppers.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, leek and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the thyme and roasted red peppers. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot; add the tomato paste to the other side and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir into the vegetables. Increase the heat to high; add the chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Add the potato and simmer until soft, about 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender in batches; keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bread into tree shapes using a cookie cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet and toast in the oven until crisp, about 6 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls. Spread the pesto on the toast and float in the soup. Serve immediately.

Photograph by Lisa Shin

Courtesy: www.foodnetwork.com