Bell pepper and tomato bisque

Bell pepper and tomato bisque

Serves 4 to 6

• Ingredients:

1 large onion

2 large bell peppers

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1½ pounds tomatoes, including romas, halved

2 cups carrots or potatoes, diced

3 cups stock

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Cracked black pepper to taste

¼ cup half-and-half

• Instructions:

Heat a large stockpot over high heat. Add the oil and sauté the bell peppers and onions for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, paprika, salt and carrots and sauté for 15 minutes or until the carrots become tender. If mixture sticks, throw in a halved tomato. Decrease the heat to medium, stir in the tomatoes and cook until they dissolve. Stir in the stock, 2 tablespoons basil and the parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender. Return the soup to a clean pot and reheat. Adjust seasoning. To serve, spoon the soup into a bowl and garnish with a bit of half-and-half.

Note: If you cut the tomatoes in half and let them dissolve into the onions, it's easy to fish out the tomato peels, which will curl and float to the top after the broth is added.

This recipe is based on one in "Organic Marin: Recipes From Land to Table," by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley (Andrew McMeel, $29.95). The original recipe calls for roasting red peppers and removing the skin before adding them to the soup.