CORN, RED PEPPER AND LEEK SOUP, ADAPTED

I think I could live on soup and muffins. To me, soup is the ultimate in comfort food. And muffins are the perfect dessert – easy to freeze, already portioned and not too sweet. When red peppers were on fire sale recently, I stocked up. Roasting them on the grill is quick and easy, and my freezer is stocked with them. While fresh corn was still available, I bought some for this delicious soup. The recipe was found on cooksrecipes.com, and I adapted it to my preferences. Of course, you don’t have to use fresh corn. Frozen corn is a good alternative. This soup is wonderful – the red peppers, leeks and corn go well together, all contributing to the sweetness that makes this so inviting. The cayenne pepper gives the soup a little kick, and the paprika rounds out the flavors. If you have garden herbs that are begging to be picked, here’s a way to use them.

Corn, Red Pepper and Leek Soup Adapted from cooksrecipes.com Rating: 9 out of 10 Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread or butter 3 leek ribs, cleaned coarsely chopped 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 3 ears fresh corn, scraped from cob, or 2 cups loose-pack frozen corn kernels 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if preferred), divided use 1/2 tsp. sea salt (or more, to taste) 1/8 tsp. black or white pepper 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 3/4 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika (I used Penzey’s) 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley + extra for garnish 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil + extra for garnish 1/2 cup heavy cream 1. Heat SB in 3-quart heavy pot and cook leeks till soft over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Method 1: (This will give you a smooth soup, with no chunks)Add red peppers and corn and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. If you have an immersion blender, use it to emulsify the veggies. Otherwise, transfer mixture to a blender and process till smooth. Return to pot; add remainder of broth, salt, peppers, paprika and herbs and heat again to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer another 5-10 minutes to blend flavors. Taste to adjust seasonings. Stir in cream. Heat through, taste again to adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with herbs. Yield: 6-8 servings Method 2: (This will give you a smooth soup with chunky corn kernels -- this is how I did it.) Add red peppers and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. If you have an immersion blender, use it to emulsify the veggies. Otherwise, transfer mixture to a blender and process till smooth. Return to pot; add remainder of broth, corn, salt, peppers, paprika and herbs and heat again to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer another 10-15 minutes to blend flavors and cook the corn. Taste to adjust seasonings. Stir in cream. Heat through, taste again to adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with herbs. Yield: 6-8 servings