Capsicum Soup Capsicums are plentiful and inexpensive in autumn and you can't beat the red ones for their sweet taste. If you love great flavours, vibrant colours and healthy foods that fill the kitchen with wonderful aromas, this is a soup is one you should try. 1 large red onion, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 75ml extra virgin olive oil 1 kg sweet, ripe red capsicums, remove cores, seeds & membranes 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock salt and freshly ground black pepper juice of 1/2 lemon 2 chopped bacon rashers sour cream fresh chives Soften the onion and garlic in olive oil over a low heat. Add the chopped capsicum and cook gently until softened (up to 20 minutes). Puree the caramelised capsicum, onion and garlic in a blender or liquidiser. Add up to four cups of chicken stock, depending on what consistency you want your soup to be. Simmer for about ten minutes, season to taste and add the lemon juice. To make a crispy bacon accompaniment to the soup, chop up a few rashers, put them into a pan, cook until crisp and then drain off remaining fat on kitchen paper. (Tip: you don't need to use extra oil - as the fat comes out of the bacon it will slowly become crispy.) Serve with a sprinkle of chives, a scatter of fried bacon and a dollop of sour cream. Burke's Backyard, magazine All of Ilyce's Recipes go to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (list name is in lower case) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (list name is in lower case) -- ~~Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting. Please read the FAQ posted each week. Please send recipes, requests, questions or comments to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
