Accidental Red Lentil Soup

I meant to make roasted red pepper soup, but ended up with red lentil soup.

Here's the why and the how:

I am not kind of girl that buys or keeps store bought canned or jarred food. I don't have a good reason against it, other than I don't care for the taste.

However, that changed when I got coupon emailed to me from World Market for $10.00 off a $30.00 purchase. I went there with the intentions of buying a cast iron skillet, and was ever so excited when I found one for 20 bucks. However, I had to find ten more dollars worth of stuff to buy for my coupon to be valid. Finally, after browsing about for an hour or so, I found some green tea for 5.99, and some roasted red peppers in a jar for 2 for $5.00. Woohoo, mission accomplished.

I opened the first jar and, although, they aren't as delicious as those made from fresh peppers and soaked in olive oil, they were pretty darn tasty on sandwiches

.

When a friend of mine said she was coming over on Wednesday to see my new place, I decided I was going to make roasted red pepper soup with the remaining jar. She was due to be here at 3 and I started making the soup about 2.

I started with chicken broth, and then added onions and garlic browned in butter with my new skillet. I also diced a potato and added to the broth because with red pepper soup it adds the right texture. I got a little heavy handed with the chili pepper flakes because as I went to add it, the dog bumped into me and my hand slipped. Oh well, it was a cold day and a little heat was just the ticket to warm things up.

I let this simmer for a bit, and then decided to add the roasted red peppers. However, I hit a snag - I couldn't open the jar! I tried EVERYTHING! I banged it, hit the bottom as I once saw someone do with a juice bottle, and in the end I just didn't have the strength in my hands to open the damn thing. Aside from calling 1 -800 I need a man, I was at a loss. It was time to adapt and overcome... soup style, and quick since this happened at about 2:40.

I found red lentils in the cabinet and decided they would work perfectly. I could still get the reddish hue that I wanted and add a flavor and texture that I wanted.

Rinsed them and added them, let them cook in the broth and then put all of it in the blender. (As a note, be careful not to overfill the blender with steaming hot soup contents or the top will blow off, and it will burn you. I learned that the hard way!).

Returned it all to pan on the stove and added cream (if vegan, or trying to cut back on calories, you could skip this... but for the sake of flavor I wouldn't recommend it).

Garnish with shredded cheese or shredded carrots, add sour cream, if your hips allow, and enjoy. I would have taken a picture, but it got devoured before I had a chance.

Cheers and Happy Eats!

Lucinda