Southwestern Red Pepper Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons roasted cumin
• 4 dried red chili peppers
• 2 star anise
• 4 teaspoons paprika
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 yams, diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and washed
• hot sauce

Recipe

• 1 mix the 3 tbsp roasted cumin, red chili peppers, star anise and paprika. using a coffee or spice grinder, grind the spices and set aside.
• 2 heat butter over medium heat. add the 1.5 tbsp cumin seeds and stir for about 30 seconds.
• 3 add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then add the onion and celery, and stir for about 2 minutes.
• 4 add the red peppers, mushrooms and salt. stir and let sit for 7-10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
• 5 add the spice mixture and stir well.
• 6 add the vegetable broth and water, followed by the yams and black beans. bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. let sit for 20-30 minutes, or until you can break the yams easily with a spoon.
• 7 using an immersion blender, blend until the soup is creamy. taste and reseason if necessary, and add about 2 tbsp of hot sauce. cholula is particularly good for this soup. stir or blend, and soup is ready to serve.