Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1. 1

   Halve the peppers and remove all seeds and membranes. Press them flat with your hand and lay them on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.

2. 2

   Place the garlic cloves on the baking sheet.

3. 3

   Set the oven on broil and raise the rack to the upper position. Broil the red peppers and garlic for 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Once the skin has blackened, remove from the oven and place in a large zip bag to steam (10 minutes).

5. 5

   Preheat a large pot to medium heat. Add the oil, thyme, bay leaves, and onions. Cook for 10 minutes, until onions are soft.

6. 6

   Add the broth, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels into the pot.

7. 7

   Then peel the charred skin off each pepper half and place it in the pot.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat, cover and cook another 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Then, using a hand-held immersion blender or standard blender, blend until smooth. (Note: if using a blender, be sure to remove the plug on the lid and cover with a kitchen towel-this with allow the heat to vent without a big mess!)

9. 9

   Add the vinegar and salt again if needed.

10. 10

    Serve with extra thyme leaves. (In the photos I thinned out a little plain Greek yogurt with milk to make a fancy swirl on top. Pretty, but not necessary.)

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.