Name: Leslie's Red Pepper Soup
Yield: Serves 6 to 8 (10 1/2 cups)
Ingredients: 6 large red bell peppers; 2 onions, chopped; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 8 cups chicken stock or low-salt broth; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence; 1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon; Dash of cayenne; Accompaniment: sour cream

"My husband and I spent a weekend in Mendocino, and one evening out we were served a red pepper soup," says Leslie Cohen of Loomis, California. "Not being a red pepper aficionado, I was surprised at how delicious the soup was and vowed to replicate the recipe."

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Cooks' note:

·Peppers can be roasted 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Recipe notes

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