Roasted Red Pepper and Red Lentil Soup

It was a little cool and windy outside today so it was the perfect weather for making a soup! This is a Roaster Red Pepper and Red Lentil Soup. Red lentils cook differently for green or brown lentils as they break down a lot quicker when cooking but that makes them perfect for soups. Also, even though this is called "Roasted Red Pepper..." you can use orange peppers too :)




Ingredients:
1 - Cup Red Lentils
4 - Cups of Vegetable Stock (to keep this a vegetarian dish)
2 - Large Red Peppers (or Orange)
1/4 - Large Onion (white, yellow or spanish)
4 - Cloves of Garlic




Directions:
Rinse your lentils under water (this is a must or they just taste bitter).

Add the lentils to 4 cups of stock, bring to a boil (you don't have to boil first) then lower the temperature to low and simmer for 20 ish minutes or until the lentils are nice and soft. Turn off heat and leave covered.

(I generally use beef broth as I like the flavor it gives the lentils but I had about 2 cups beef and 2 cups of chicken stock so I mixed them together.) 

Slice up your peppers.

Put the peppers into a small sauce pan.

Slice up the onion.

Pu the onions in the sauce pan, drop in a big scoop of butter then put it on the stove top on medium heat. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the everything goes soft and translucent.

While that is sauteing, peel and chop up your garlic.

 

When the peppers and onion are pretty much ready, put in the garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more.

The lentils should look something like this (I know, not as bright red as you would have expected.)

 

Pour in the peppers, onion and garlic mixture.

Stir together.

Pour into a blender.

(Ninja Blender) 

Blend until smooth.

Pour into a large serving bowl.

Serve with a fresh loaf of bread.

And for a little bit of a different flavor, add in a little scoop of sour cream, then mix together and enjoy!

(I hate when the sour cream doesn't float like it supposed too...)