Roasted Orange Pepper Soup

Taking a break from baking recipes I want to share a rather nice, and very simple to make soup.
Orange Peppers have a nice sweet taste to them.  So that is what I used for this soup, though red, or yellow would probably be just as good.  I think green peppers might be a little astrigent but still probably acceptable.  I should mention that I am referring to what our North American cousins might call bell peppers.

This recipe makes a good 4 -5 bowls full of soup, ideal for lunchtime, with some nice fresh bread.

You can easily add a dollop, or two, of creme fraiche, or cream into the soup when serving, but my own preference is to do nothing except eat it as it is.

• 900 g  fresh orange (bell) peppers
• 1.2 litres  vegetable stock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic,finely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• Vegetable oil for roasting the peppers
• Salt

1. Cut the peppers into quarters and remove the core and seeds.
2. Place the pieces skin side up on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and brush with olive oil.
3. Roast in the oven at 200°C (395°F) for about 30 minutes. The skins should be blackening in places.
4. While still hot, place the pieces of pepper in a plastic bag, seal and allow to cool.
5. Peel the skins from the peppers and chop the remaining flesh. 
6. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté gently for 5 minutes.
7. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
8. Add the roasted peppers, vegetable stock, sugar and spices. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
9. Taste and add salt as necessary to season.
10. Take off the heat and, when it has cooled some,  blend the soup using a hand blender or food processor until smooth.