Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Cuisine:Italian

Serves: 4

• 5 large red bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 5 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preparation: 

1. Roast red bell peppers in a 400 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes until skin is charred and wrinkly. Remove peppers from oven, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until peppers are cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes, then remove the stem and seeds and peel off the skin. The steam released from the hot peppers when covered with plastic should help the skin come off fairly easily.
2. When roasted peppers are peeled and de-seeded, give them a rough chop and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a medium pot or saucepan over medium heat.
4. When oil is shimmering, add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add flour and stir to let the flour soak up as much liquid as possible. Cook for 1 minute more.
7. Add balsamic vinegar and stir to combine.
8. Add vegetable stock a little at a time, stirring constantly to break up any clumps of flour.
9. Add roasted red peppers to the stock and bring soup to a simmer.
10. Remove soup from heat and add almond milk.
11. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer soup to a regular blender in batches).
12. Taste soup and add seasoning as necessary.
13. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a small drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of parsley. Serve immediately.