I took my first cooking class the other day, given by a chef friend of mine and another friend who is a nutritionist.  It was truly amazing.  Not only did we learn some cool stuff about eating right, we watched the chef prepare a whole bunch of delicious and incredibly healthy dishes.  And then we got to eat them!

One of the dishes was this soup, which I love so much I’ve already made it 3 times.  I’ve made a few modifications for myself, but it’s truly a yummy soup made from just veggies.

I use my immersion blender for this one, but I’ve been thinking.  Should I invest in a really good blender?  I mean, I’m considering a really good one– like a Vita-Mix.  They have one at Bed Bath & Beyond that I could use my 20% off coupon on, but they are still redonkulously expensive.  Any suggestions out there?  The other reason I’ve been craving a new blender is that I’m doing another cleanse (this one personalized for me by the nutritionist, and AMAZINGLY good) and I’m drinking 2 “shakes” a day.  I think they’d be a little smoother if I had a better blender.

So, onto the recipe.  Check this soup, baby:

Spicy Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 Swiss chard leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 4 cups (32 oz) organic 100% tomato juice
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• avocado slices for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, bell peppers, carrots, chard, basil, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the vegetables are very soft and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When vegetables are tender, add the tomato juice.  Stir well and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and carefully blend with an immersion or standard blender.  Purée until smooth.

Return the pot and soup to medium heat and add the balsamic vinegar.  Cook until soup is heated through and vinegar is well-incorporated.  Serve with avocado slices for garnish.

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Many thanks to our fantastic chef Pam for the essentials of this recipe!

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