Recently my friend Amanda and I went to The Whistling Tea Kettle in Troy, NY for a relaxing brunch. The Kettle is one of my favorite places. They have a wide array of amazing loose leaf tea as well as a wonderful menu of tea sandwiches, salads, tea breads, paninis, soups and more.
On this particular trip I ordered the roasted red pepper soup with smoked Gouda alone with a panini. You guys that soup was to die for! Like absolutely amazing. I knew that when I got home I had to recreate it.
On this particular day last weekend I decided to make this soup myself. I knew it would be super warming and comforting on this frosty weekend, but I wanted to dress it up a bit. I added beans, toast and even more cheese to the original recipe. I thought topping it with toast, cheese and putting it under the broiler, much like French onion soup would be an amazing touch. Well let me just tell you, I’m a genius and it was the best idea ever.
While these additions definitely made it heartier I think this would still make more of a starter than a full meal. I think the strong flavor can be overpowering if it’s broken up with a nice sandwich or a salad.
- ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 (8 oz) jar roasted red peppers
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup cannelloni beans, drained
- 4 oz of cheese, separated
- 2 slices of French bread, toasted
- In a small sauce pan saute the shallot over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain the red peppers and place them in a blender with the shallots and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Add vegetable broth, half of the cheese and the beans stir to combine. Cook until the cheese has melted and transfer to 2 oven safe bowls.
- Top with bread and cheese and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.