Fire Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

On the days that I'm in the office, I have an obsession with usually lunch on soup from a local shop.  I lurve a good soup, especially in the winter.  This past weekend was super cold - perfect for simmering a pot of deliciousness on the stove.  I had all the ingredients to whip up a pot of Red Pepper & Tomato Soup (with Gouda and Parmesan) and decided to do just that.  This is a great 'whatever kind you have onhand' type of soup - in fact this is the first time I actually wrote the 'recipe' down.  I usually just start with a pepper or two and some canned tomatoes and throw in whatever I feel like as the pot simmers.  For this one, I used fire roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers with garlic and both Gouda and Parmesan cheeses because that's what was in my pantry. 

Fire Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 12 oz jars of Roasted Red Peppers (I used in oil with garlic), chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz smoked gouda, shredded
2 oz Parmesan, shredded

1 - Heat butter in large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat
2 - Add onions and cook 5 minutes
3 - Add roasted red peppers, diced tomatoes (including juice) & garlic

this is the chopped roasted red peppers

and here's what the fire roasted tomato can looks like

4 - Continue cooking over medium heat for another 10-15 minutes until onions are tender, stirring occasionally

5 - Add chicken broth and stir well

6 - Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes

7 - Transfer soup to a blender (in batches) and blend - pulse for a rough texture or puree for a smooth soup

8 - Return to pot and increase heat to medium

9 - Add half and half, pepper, salt, gouda and Parmesan and stir well to combine

soooo gooouda

sorry...I couldn't resist

10 - Simmer another 10-20 minutes to allow cheeses to melt and flavors to combine

11 - Serve with a dollup of sour cream (I prefer to top with a dollop of sour cream blended with ranch seasoning - it adds another fantastic layer of flavor)

A few notes:

•  The tomato flavor is very prevalent - if you prefer to taste a bit more of the red peppers, sub out some of the tomatoes for more peppers
• If you are using fresh bell peppers, dice them and add to the pot with the onions to allow plenty of time for softening

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