White Bean Soup with Roasted Peppers

When the wind blows, the leafs turn various shades of red, yellow, and orange, and the chill of winter is definitely in the air, I tend to want soup. More often than not, I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, nor do I want long lists of hard-to-find ingredients that require me to visit various specialty stores. So, here is a delicious and healthy soup that can basically be made with items that many of us tend to have at home anyway. There are no crazy ingredients but the whole soup comes together very nicely and provides just about the most delicious reprieve from the impending chill.

Ingredients: 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper

3 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion (I prefer to use sweet onions with this soup but regular onions will do just fine)

3 garlic gloves.

2 cups veggie stock

1 can white beans (Cannellini work well)

1 Tbs fresh Rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

black pepper to taste

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

Let’s get started:

Preheat your broiler.

Slice the peppers in half, remove seeds, and rub 1 Tbs. olive oil on the outside. Place the peppers, cut side down, on a baking sheet on position under the broiler. Let the peppers roast until the skins are well charred. Remove the peppers and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Set aside.

While the peppers rest, chop the onion. Mince the garlic. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and minced garlic.

Stir until the onions become soft and translucent. Add the veggie stock and bring to a boil. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the pot. Chop the fresh rosemary (or simply use the dried variety) and add to the pot as well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. By the time your beans have cooked, your peppers will also be ready to be used further. Remove the peppers from the bowl and peel off the skins. Having been scarred and then steamed the peppers (due to being covered), doing so should be very easy. Discard the skins and thinly slice the peppers into strips. Cut the strips into 2-inch long pieces. Add the peppers to the beans. Add the balsamic vinegar as well. Stir and heat through for about five minutes. Taste for salt and adjust to your liking. I like to serve this soup with a hearty bread and a simple green salad. Enjoy!