Red Pepper Soup

T’is the season for hearty stews and soups, warm biscuits and spiced drinks.

One of my favorite summer raw soups, using fresh-picked peppers from the garden, is especially lovely when the weather turns cool and damp. The hot water and cayenne pepper adds some heat and a kick.

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours

2 Red and/or yellow bell peppers, deseeded & rough chopped

1/2 cup baby carrots

1 tomato, rough quartered

1 tomato, diced

1 lemon slice

2 cups boiling water

1 clove garlic

1 bunch fresh parsley and cilantro

1 avocado

2 T raw coconut flakes

1 can chopped black olives

Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, ceyenne pepper, tumeric, minced onion

Instructions

  1. Chop some cilantro and parsley, avocado, and 1 diced tomato, some chopped black olives and set aside for toppings along with the coconut flakes.
  2. Soak the raw cashews in fresh water in a covered bowl at least four hours or overnight. Drain the cashews and put into a food processor or high speed blender.
  3. Rough chop the seeded peppers, carrots and tomato and add to blender or food processor.
  4. Add the garlic, minced onion and a handful of cilantro and parsley to the blender
  5. Add a slice of lemon with the rind on, take out any seeds
  6. Add 1-2 cups of boiling water (enough to cover the contents so it mixes smoothly)
  7. Put the lid with a vent on the container and blend for one minute or until smooth. Be careful taking off the lid. The contents are HOT!
  8. Add 1 T Tumeric and a few dashes of cayenne and salt and pepper to taste and pulse to incorporate.
  9. Pour soup into bowls and top with cilantro, parsley, avocado chunks, diced tomato, chopped black olives and flaked coconut to taste.

Serve immediately and enjoy!