Roasted Red Pepper Soup

After a full day of pulling boxes and boxes of Halloween and fall stuff from the closet dedicated to seasonal decorations, I made soup.  The weather is still cool (for now) and the mood was right.  Too tired to make anything very complicated, I opted for my super easy Red Pepper Soup.  It's low-cal, low-fat, and delicious.  When Mr. Fantastic got home, already impressed by the outdoor décor, he was overjoyed to find soup on the stove and the house dotted with more seasonal displays.  Soup is one of his favorite things, which is great for me, because it’s so easy. 

To make the meal a little more substantial, I poured the soup over barley and sprinkled mozzarella cheese on top.  For something a little different, I put a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on mine.  Both were yummy!  Here’s my version of the recipe, which I have modified from the Southern Living Cookbook (an awesome book I discovered through my BFF) and Robin Miller’s Quick Fix Meals.  You can also find a printable version of my recipe here.    

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
Two 16-oz. jars roasted red peppers
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 1/2 c. vegetable broth
2-3 c. water
Sprinkle of salt                                                                  

Optional:
Cooked barley or rice
Sprinkle of mozarella cheese                                                  

Dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Blend red peppers in a food processor; Sauté chopped onions with minced garlic in olive oil, for about 5 minutes;  Add puréed peppers, vegetable broth, and water to pot (less water will make thicker soup, but adding water will make more); Sprinkle salt to taste; Bring soup to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Excellent served over barley with mozarella cheese or plain Greek yogurt on top!

Halloween decorations are almost complete!  I ran out of ribbon today, so another trip to Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are in order.  Self-control in check.