Roasted Red Pepper-Carrot soup with homemade croutons

This was a super satisfying dish I found in last months Vegetarian Times Magazine that was surprisingly flavorful. When I saw lemon juice on the recipe I thought...Really? Lemon Juice? But it added a fresh zesty final touch to the soup that worked out well. Make sure to leave yourself enough time to roast the bell pepper at the beginning. Add a green salad to your soup and you will have a delicious meal!

Recipe
(Printable Recipe)

2 large red bell peppers
2 TB olive oil
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 TB lemon juice
Fresh Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Place bell peppers on baking sheet, and roast for 1 hour. Transfer to bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. When peppers have cooled, rub off peel and remove seeds.

2. Heat oil in 2 qt saucepan over medium heat. Add curry powder and bay leaf, stir for 10 seconds. Add onion, carrots, garlic and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.

4. Transfer carrot mixture to blender, add bell pepper and puree until smooth. Stir in lemon juice. Garnish with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Croutons

Use whatever bread you have available and cut into bite sized pieces
Olive oil

1. Turn your oven on to 350*.
2. Place bread pieces on to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
3. Sprinkle over soup.

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Who likes to change it up?

~You can use either white or red onions for the soup.
~Don't have curry powder? Use an Italian seasoning instead or smoked paprika.
~Serve with yummy fresh bread or fish cracker snacks instead of croutons.

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An added heart bonus

   
When you eat veggies and fruits with red and orange hues, they have beta-carotene and lycopene, which are two of the best known antioxidants for heart healthy.