Ingredients
Scale
For the soup:
- 4 red bell peppers
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 (14 oz) can peeled whole tomatoes
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1 cup orzo
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the herb oil:
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (or herb of your choice)
- 1 bunch fresh tarragon (or herb of your choice)
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Light the burners on a gas stove to medium-high heat. Place a pepper on each burner and roast, rotating until all the skin is black (alternatively, if you don’t have a gas stove, you can use your oven broiler to roast the peppers).
- Transfer peppers to a plastic bag or a large bowl; seal or cover with plastic wrap.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil, then add onions. Cook onions 5 minutes until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and tomatoes; stir. Add 2 cups broth.
- Simmer soup over medium heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, remove peppers from bag or bowl. Peel off the skins (you can do this under cold running water if it helps). Cut peppers and remove seeds and stem. Slice peppers into 1-inch pieces and add to soup. Add remaining vegetable broth to soup.
- Puree mixture briefly with an immersion blender (or pulse a few times in a regular blender), enough to leave it equally chunky and smooth. Return pot to stovetop over medium heat; stir in orzo, orange zest and juice. Cook 5 minutes more until orzo is al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Make the herb oil: In a food processor, process herbs until minced. With food processor running, drizzle in oil until mixture is smooth. Add salt to taste.
- Drizzle oil over warm soup. Serve with crusty, cheesy bread for dipping.