Soup season has arrived and this one’s definitely going to warm your bones. There’s snow storms and unseasonably cold temperatures just about everywhere in the north now, and I’ve been ready to dig into a bowl of soup all week. This is like a sophisticated version of tomato soup and grilled cheese – except without the bread. The tangy goats cheese really gives it another dimension at the end. And bacon? Well, bacon is fantastic on everything – as most of you already know!
If you’re dairy free, you can easily use coconut milk instead of the heavy cream, but if you’re fine with dairy then make sure you don’t skip it. The creaminess that it adds just takes this soup over the top – bringing you comfort and happiness in a simple and easy to make soup. Join in with me and have a bowl yourself.
Roasting the red peppers and cauliflower bring a whole new dimension to this soup. It’s rich with a slight spiciness to it, but not overpowering. It’s a great starter to any protein-heavy meal, as it’s got a solid chunk of fats. And, best of all, the flavors of the vegetables really come out, giving off a hint of smokiness in each bite.
Note: If you don’t have access to duck fat, you can use chicken fat or bacon fat. If you have neither of those, feel free to use butter. The fat will give a sense of richness and flavor to the soup that will really help it develop. Usually, you can find duck fat in co-ops or Whole Food-like stores. Call ahead and ask if they have it in stock or if you can request it. Mine cost about $7 per pound, so try not to pay too much more than that. Settle with chicken fat if duck fat is too expensive.
Yields 5 Servings of Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Cauliflower Soup
The Preparation
- 2 medium red bell pepper
- 294 grams cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons lard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons lard
- 45 grams green onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (for garnish)
The Execution
1. Put oven on broil setting. Slice peppers in half and de-seed them. Lay them skin side up on a foil-covered baking tray and broil for 10-15 minutes or until skin is charred and blackened.
2. While peppers are broiling, cut cauliflower into florets. If the florets are large, cut florets in half or quarters.
3. Once peppers are done, remove from oven and place in a container with a lid, or a food saver bag and seal. Let the peppers steam and cook longer to soften while cauliflower roasts.
4. Use 2 tbsp. melted duck fat, salt, and pepper to season the cauliflower. Roast cauliflower in 400F oven for 30-35 minutes.
5. Remove the skins from the peppers by peeling it off carefully.
6. In a pot, bring 4 tbsp. duck fat to heat and add diced green onion. Once green onion is slightly cooked, add seasonings into the pan to toast.
7. Add chicken broth, red pepper, and cauliflower to the pan. Let this simmer for 10-20 minutes.
8. Take an immersion blender to the mixture. Make sure that all fats are emulsified with the mixture by the time you’re finished – about 1-2 minutes. Season to taste, then add cream and mix.
9. Serve with some crispy bacon and goats cheese. Garnish with extra thyme and green onion.
This makes a total of 5 servings of Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Cauliflower Soup. Each serving comes out to be 323 calories, 29.6g fats, 5.2g net carbs, and 7.8g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 2 medium red bell pepper | 71 | 0.7 | 13.9 | 4.8 | 9 | 2.3 |
| 294 gram cauliflower | 68 | 1.5 | 12.1 | 6.8 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| 2 tablespoon lard | 231 | 25.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| — salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 tablespoon lard | 462 | 51.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 gram green onion | 14 | 0.1 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| 1 teaspoon garlic powder | 10 | 0 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.5 |
| 1 teaspoon dried thyme | 3 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 1 teaspoon smoked paprika | 6 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes | 1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 3 cup chicken broth | 45 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0 | 3.3 | 4.8 |
| 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream | 405 | 42.9 | 3.3 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| 4 ounce goat cheese | 299 | 23.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.6 |
| Totals | 1617 | 147.9 | 40.3 | 14.4 | 25.9 | 39.1 |
| Per Serving (/5) | 323 | 29.6 | 8.1 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 7.8 |
Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 medium red bell pepper
- 294 gram cauliflower
- 2 tablespoon lard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoon lard
- 45 gram green onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounce goat cheese crumbled (for garnish)
Instructions
- Set the oven to broil. Slice the peppers in half and deseed them. Lay them skin side up on a foil-lined baking tray and broil for 10–15 minutes or until the skins are charred and blackened.
- Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into small florets.
- Once the peppers are done, remove from the oven and place in a container with a lid or in a Ziploc bag and seal completely. Let the peppers steam and cook longer, to soften, while the cauliflower roasts. Turn oven to 400F.
- Use the melted (smaller amount of) lard, salt, and pepper to season the cauliflower. Roast for 30–35 minutes.
- Once the peppers have softened, carefully peel off the skins.
- In a pot, heat up the second portion of lard and add in the diced green onion. Once slightly cooked, add in the rest of the seasonings to toast.
- Add the chicken broth, roasted red peppers, and cauliflower to the pan. Let simmer for 10–20 minutes.
- Blend with immersion blender for about 1–2 miniutes to ensure that everything is emulsified. Season to taste, add in the cream, and mix.
- Serve with the goat cheese on top. Enjoy!
