Munchie Monday: Orange Pepper Soup

This new regimen recommends many non-starchy vegetables, plus some specific starchy ones.  The long list of non-starchy ones can be eaten raw or cooked.  I took one of their suggested recipes and made it my own.

Being winter, one of my favorite foods is soup.  I particularly like broth-y soups.  Often I just ladle out and drink the broth then add more water to make more broth.  The soup I just made for supper (so I would not be tempted to eat other stuff because supper was not instantly ready to eat when we arrived home) is Orange (Bell) Pepper Soup.

Orange Pepper Soup

1 Tablespoon avocado oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped--or diced, depending on your preference
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 large orange peppers, washed, cored, and chopped
2 cans (14-15 ozs) diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons dried basil

In large soup pot (a good size is 6-8 quarts) place the avocado oil over medium heat.  When it begins to shimmer add the onions, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Stir well then stir occasionally until the onions are translucent, more or less.

Add the vegetable broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are mostly tender.

Add the tomatoes, parsley, and basil and bring heat back up almost to boiling then reduce heat again and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Get out your immersion blender after the soup has cooled 5 minutes, and puree the soup...then ladle into mugs and enjoy as much, and as often, as you like!

The one thing I did that I did not mention above is that I was not sure there was going to be enough broth to suit me so I added 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon dried chicken bouillon powder.  Also, when I poured in the diced tomatoes from the cans, I sloshed a little water into the cans and poured that into the soup, too.  No need to waste the good tomato business that was left in the cans and that we paid for...

Anyway,  this is really tasty.  I recommend it.  It might be as good for you as that old cabbage soup diet thing.  It certainly cannot hurt.