Potato Piquillo Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 12 ounces (about 20) Piquillo Peppers
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- 1-2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups Chicken (or Vegetable) Stock
- 4 small Yukon Gold or 6-8 small Red New Potatoes, unpeeled, chopped
- 1/2 cup Crème Fraiche or Sour Cream
- 2 ounces Manchego Cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup Whipping Cream
Directions:
In a heavy Dutch oven or stockpot, melt butter over moderate heat and sauté the onions, half of the piquillos, salt and pepper until the onions turn a light golden color, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly just to release the aroma, 1 to 2 minutes.Pour in the stock, add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Puree in a food processor or blender just until smooth, being careful not to over-process. Overworking will result in a gummy soup. Return to the pot, stir in the crème fraiche or sour cream and bring just to a boil. Julienne half of the remaining piquillos. Reserve 1 tablespoon julienned piquillos for garnish, and stir the remaining julienned piquillos into the soup.Puree the remaining whole piquillos in a mini-processor and put in a bowl. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and genlty fold in the pureed piquillos and grated Manchego.Divide hot soup into bowls, top each with a dollop of the piquillo cream and reserved julienned piquillos and serve.http://www.potatosouprecipe.com/Recipes/PotatoPiquilloSoup.htm