A Perfect Fall Soup: Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup

We had our first chilly fall weekend in Northern California today!  It felt like the perfect weather for a warming fall soup and I found just the one I wanted to make in Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook, a gift from V.  The book contains recipes from the London restaurant of the same name and it is a complete treat to browse through.  A couple of weekends back, I made the stuffed baby eggplants from the same book, and it turned out very nice!  For today’s lunch, I picked the brightly-colored roasted red pepper soup.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup

Lemon and other citrus trees are a standard part of the landscape in most Bay Area backyards and even some front yards.  Even though we use the lemons for everything from cooking to cleaning, I have never made use of the leaves from the tree. This recipe intrigued me also because it makes use of lemon leaves.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup

Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Yam Soup
Adapted from Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook‘s recipe for Thai-spiced Roasted Red Pepper, Sweet Potato, Ginger & Coconut Milk Soup
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium red bell peppers
  • 2 small or 1 large purple yam
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seed (you can find this at your local ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 2-3 Thai chili peppers or serrano peppers, chopped (Thai chili peppers are spicier, use serrano or jalapeno peppers if you want a milder taste.  Alternately use 2 more chilies if you like it spicy.)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4-5 lemon or lime leaves, ribs removed and finely sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • A pinch cumin powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Roast the red pepper and yam simultaneously in the oven while you saute the remaining ingredients for the soup.  Instructions given separately below for each, but the timings will overlap, so read through first.
  • Roast the red bell peppers:
    • Pre-heat over to 400F
    • Brush the outside of the bell pepper generously and thoroughly with olive oil or coconut oil and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
    • Bake for around 20 mins on the lower rack closest to the coils turning the bell pepper once or twice to char evenly (You may need to bake for a little longer as some of the instructions call for as long as 40 mins, but mine was done at 20 mins)
    • Pull the tray out using oven mitts and take the peppers out carefully with a pair of tongs and place inside a brown paper bag placed on top of a plate and close the bag tightly by folding the ends 
    • Let it sit for 30 mins or so while you saute the onions etc.  
    • After 30 mins or so, tear the paper bag open, and make sure the peppers are cool enough to touch.  Discard the paper bag and set the peppers back on the plate
    • It should be very easy to peel away the skin now.  Also, get rid of as many seeds as possible from inside the pepper. You will be left with just the flesh and a bit of liquid on the plate
  • Roast the yams:
    • Cut the yam in to 2 inch chunks and place on a baking sheet 
    • While roasting the red bell pepper on the bottom rack, place the yam on the top rack
    • After 20 mins insert a knife and check if the yam is mushy, if not bake for 10 more minutes on the bottom rack 
    • Cool and peel the yam
  • Saute the other ingredients:
    • Heat 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in a pan on medium or low heat
    • When hot, add the fennel seeds
    • When fragrant, add the green chilies, garlic, and lemon leaves
    • After 2-3 mins when the garlic is fragrant, add the chopped onion and saute for 6-7 mins on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent
    • Add the ginger and coconut milk and heat through for a couple of minutes and switch off
Roasted and peeled red peppers in the blender,waiting for the yam to cool
  • Blend the soup:
    • Puree all ingredients until smooth adding cumin powder, salt and pepper to taste.  I used my Blendtec but any high-powered blender or immersion blender will do the job
    • Serve with a side of crusty garlic bread
Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Yam Soup
If you find the soup to be too sweet for your taste, try using Yukon Gold potatoes instead of yams. The lemon leaves added a fresh citrus-y scent to the soup without the tartness.  I have to find more recipes which make use of the leaves.   
Oh by the way, did you notice the beautiful soup spoons with the peacock pattern?  They are a gift from V’s sister.  Aren’t they lovely?
Soup spoons with peacock pattern, a gift from V’s sister
On our long hike on one of the many Bay Area mountains this weekend, it felt cool and comfortable throughout, and finally it felt like the Goldilocks weather than the Bay Area is known for is back. Now keeping fingers and toes crossed for rains to come soon.   I bet all our lemon trees could use a good sprinkling this season!

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