Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomato Soup

• 1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes (about 8 pieces, do not used oil-packed variety)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 sweet or bell peppers, charred, skinned, and seeded or a 6-ounce jar of prepared roasted red sweet peppers
• 2 fresh ripe plum tomatoes, cut into eighths
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 fresh basil leaves for garnish (use purple basil if available)

1. Rehydrate the dried tomatoes by soaking them in warm water for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, sweat the onion in the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, uncovered, for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Do not let the onion color.
4. Add the stock, rehydrated tomatoes, roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper and let it all simmer together for 10 minutes.
5. Pour the soup into a blender and process at a high speed for 4 minutes, until very smooth.
6. Then pass it through a strainer to remove the vegetable skins.
7. Adjust the seasoning and serve with fresh basil leaves as a garnish.

tomatoes, onion, extravirgin olive oil, chicken stock, sweet, fresh ripe plum tomatoes, salt, fresh basil

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/roasted-red-pepper-and-sun-dried-tomato-soup-recipe.html (may not work)