Corn and Roast Pepper Soup

As Chef Jules continues to present a tasty selection of recipes, my list of dishes to try gets longer every week. This time around I tried his Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. I've made a few variations, but essentially followed his recipe. This soup would make a satisfying addition to any menu, no matter the season. It's light enough to be served in the summer, and spicy and warm enough to ease the winter chills.

If you don't have vegetable stock on hand, increase the amount of salt and add a few teaspoons of celery seed. Instructions, complete with pictures, on how to roast peppers can be found here.

Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 bay leaf (whole, or crushed)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of cracked black peppercorns
6 cups of vegetable stock
1 dried ancho or guajillo chile pepper
1 cup of boiling water
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
4 - 5 cups of corn kernels
2 red bell peppers, roasted and cut into 1/2 cubes
1/2 cup of whipping cream or yogurt
finely chopped cilantro or parsley for garnishing

Soak the dried chile pepper for 30 minutes in the boiling water. Drain, discarding the soaking liquid. Remove the stem and coarsely chop the chili. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft - about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, cayenne, coriander, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add the stock or water, stir to combine and bring to a low boil. Cover the soup partially with the lid and gently simmer until the flavours are blended - about 15 - 20 minutes.

In a blender, puree the chopped dried and soaked chile pepper, the chopped jalapeno peppers, the tomato and about 1 cup of the stock from the soup pot. Add the mixture to the soup pot, along with the corn, roasted red pepper and cream or yogurt. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low heat until the corn is tender. If you like, you can puree a small portion of the soup for a creamier version. Garnish each serving with cilantro or parsley.

Yields approximately 6 - 8 servings.

I've submitted this recipe to Kalyn's Kitchen, who will soon be celebrating 2 years of Weekend Herb Blogging.