Mexican Pepper Soup

  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 6 cups chopped mixed colored bell peppers
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1-2 TB fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Crumbled tortilla chips
  • Chipotle or other hot sauce, optional

This is a wonderful soup to make when peppers are abundant near the end of summer and fall. A combination of colored peppers make for a lovely hued soup. 

In a covered soup pot, sauté the onions, cumin, coriander and chili flakes for about 3 minutes until barely softened. Add the bell peppers and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until a bit softened. Add the vegetable stock and continue cooking until peppers are soft. Using an immersion or table top blender, puree the vegetables leaving some leaving some pepper bits for texture and color. Return soup to pot if using a table top blender. Stir in sour cream and lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. Garnish with chopped cilantro, crumbled tortilla chips and hot sauce, if desired.