Chilled Red Bell Pepper and Habanero Soup

Name: Chilled Red Bell Pepper and Habanero Soup
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 4 medium red bell peppers; 1 2 pounds tomatoes; 1 1 sweet onion (1/2 pound), chopped; 1 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 4 to 6 fresh habanero chiles, finely chopped (2 to 3 tablespoons), stems and seeds discarded; 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 1 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1 Crackers; 1 flatbread; 1 or bread

From the kitchen of Carly

Roasted red peppers and habaneros meet tomatoes in a chilled soup that's bright, slightly spicy, and deeply satisfying. Silky from olive oil, sharp from garlic, it's the kind of summer starter that makes you feel both refreshed and fed.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

14 medium red bell peppers
12 pounds tomatoes
11 sweet onion (1/2 pound), chopped
12 garlic cloves, chopped
14 to 6 fresh habanero chiles, finely chopped (2 to 3 tablespoons), stems and seeds discarded
11/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
11 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1Crackers
1flatbread
1or bread

Instructions

Roast bell peppers on racks of gas burners over high heat (or on a broiler pan about 2 inches from broiler), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel, then halve lengthwise, discarding stems and seeds.
Cut a shallow X in bottom of each tomato, then blanch tomatoes in simmering water 20 seconds and transfer to an ice bath. Peel and coarsely chop, reserving juices.
Cook onion, garlic, chiles, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and pale golden, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, bell peppers, broth, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.
Purée soup in 2 or 3 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), drizzling remaining 1/4 cup oil into first batch with motor running. Quick-chill soup in a metal bowl set in an ice bath, stirring often, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt.