Summer Supper: Pepper-Tahini Soup

Here's a great soup I made the other night, perfect for when you find yourself in possession of a lot of bell peppers. I preferred it chilled in the fridge for a while after I made it, but my husband liked it better after it was warmish from the blender. It is smooth, but adding chucks of veggies...more peppers, fresh corn, tomatoes, you name it...would also be delicious. I threw in some chunks of avocado. If you don't like tahini, or can't find a raw version, this would still be delicious, and more like a pepper gazpacho, without it. For some non-tahini creaminess, throw a handful of raw cashews into the blender (if you want to do so, try soaking them for a couple of hours first, so they'll come out smooth). I begin with a base of carrot, onion, and shallot, sort of a riff on the mirepoix base used for many soups. It creates a savory broth base for the other ingredients.

Bell Pepper-Tahini Soup

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

Blend these ingredients until smooth. You could juice the veggies, and then add water, if you wanted to make a totally liquid broth, although the taste may be a little different.

To the base, add:

4 cups bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or a mix), chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 packed tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2-1 tablespoon cumin

Dash of cayenne

1/4-1/2 cup tahini, to taste.

Additional salt, to taste (perhaps another 1/4-1/2 teaspoon)

Blend thoroughly until desired smoothness is reached. Adjust lime, salt, cayenne, cumin, etc. to taste. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed from the action of the blender, or chill before serving. If serving chilled, pop back in the blender for a quick whirl or stir vigorously in case soup has separated.

As I like to say...raw appetit!