Don’t worry, Red Hot Soup isn’t too spicy! You can add as much or as little of the red pepper flakes and the cayenne pepper as you want to make a Red Hot Soup perfectly suited to your tastebuds. No matter how much spice you add, you’ll find yourself with a warming and refreshing soup infused with poultry flavor and the refreshing brightness of red bell peppers. Tender long-grain rice and garden-fresh vegetables add texture and heartiness to every spoonful too! Things are really heating up in the kitchen with Red Hot Soup!
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cans chicken broth, one 49.5-ounce and one 14.5-ounce
- 1/2 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- bacon, optional, cooked and crumbled
Directions
Step 1 –In a Dutch oven, sauté the red peppers, the carrots, the onions, the celery, and the garlic in the oil until tender.
Step 2 –Stir the broth, the rice, the thyme, the salt, the pepper, and the cayenne into the veggie mixture and bring to a boil.
Step 3 –Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the veggies and rice are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 4 –Allow the soup to cool for 30 minutes.
Step 5 –Purée the soup in small batches in a blender, then return to the Dutch oven.
Step 6 –Add the red pepper flakes to the puréed soup and heat through.
Step 7 –Serve with the bacon crumbles