This Piquillo Pepper Red Lentil Bisque is a truly delightful and velvety smooth soup! It has incredible flavor from the blended piquillo peppers, tomato, lentils, Mascarpone and Manchego cheese.
I made this soup on Wednesday and brought it to the farmers market to let my favorite ceramic artists Tom and Jasper to taste it. They shared it with two other guys and they gave me four thumbs up! Yayyyy, I love feedback, especially positive feedback.
On another note, yesterday, I had the great pleasure of meeting a fellow food blogger that I admire very much! Her name is Pang from the fantastic blog “Circa Happy“! If you don’t know about Circa Happy, I highly recommend it! She has to be one of the sweetest people/bloggers out there and her photography is out of this world! She is so sweet in person and it shows in her posts. It is so awesome to meet someone that you have only communicated with through the internet. We met up in San Jose for lunch and a little shopping at a very cool outside mall called Santana Row. We talked about everything and of course food photography and blogging. We plan to meet again! The best part about making a big batch of soup is that it is so nice to be able to heat some up after a long day out and call it a night!
I enjoy this with a red Rioja and a white rioja, so it pretty much goes with any dry red or dry white wine.
Piquillo Pepper Red Lentil Bisque = CaliZona
Ingredients
Bisque
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 White Onions – diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves – minced
- 1 Bouillon Cube – vegetarian – unsalted
- 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
- 2 Cups Red Lentils – sorted and rinsed
- 8 Cups Filtered Water
Puree
- 1 - 10 oz. Jar Piquillo Peppers without sugar – rinse and remove seeds
- 1 Cup Strained Tomatoes I used Bionaturae in a glass jar or 1 Large Tomato – grated, skin discarded
- 1/2 Cup Mascarpone
- 1 Cup Manchego Cheese I used raw aged 12 months – Mitica
- 1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons Hot Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
Garnish (optional, but so good)
- Red Cabbage – thinly sliced
- Mascarpone
Instructions
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Dice the onion and add to a 4 to 5 1/2 quart soup pot or dutch oven along with the olive oil.
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Sauté on medium-low heat.
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Mince the garlic and add to onions and sauté for about 10 minutes or until garlic is slightly golden.
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Add wine and bouillon.
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Mash bouillon cube to dissolve and cook until wine is syrupy.
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While onions are cooking, measure lentils, sort for any rocks and rinse really well. Set aside.
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When the onions are finished cooking, add water and lentils.
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Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low or lower to simmer.
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Cook for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
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While lentils are cooking, make the piquillo puree.
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In a food processor or blender; puree the piquillo peppers, crushed tomato sauce (if using a tomato, cut in half and grate on a cheese grater with the cut side of the tomato down), cheese, vinegar, paprika and salt.
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Add the puree to the soup when the lentils are finished cooking.
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Puree with a handheld blender (immersion blender) or you can use a food processor but it won’t be as smooth.
Health benefits:
Piquillo peppers are a high source of fiber, and Vitamins C, E, A, and B. The vitamin C content is as high as citrus fruit. They improve blood circulation and reduce high blood pressure. They also help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol and promote healthy cholesterol.
Lentils have extremely high levels of soluble fiber and a good amount of insoluble fiber. They have cholesterol-lowering fiber which helps stabilize blood sugar levels giving you a steady stream of energy. A half-cup provides about a third of the daily requirements. Not only is the fiber good for your heart, but the amount of folate and magnesium is also very beneficial for cardiovascular health. Lentils provide a steady stream of glucose to your brain. Glucose is a sugar and a key source of energy for the cells in the body and it is the only fuel your brain can use. The high fiber regulates the release of glucose, providing a steady stream of fuel that powers your brain cells and is a key component in keeping your brain healthy. Lentils are loaded with an impressive amount of blood-fortifying iron and when paired with food containing vitamin C, the iron is enhanced, which in turn increases your energy. They are truly a nutritional fountain of youth. Lentils originated in Southwestern Asia along the Indus River and have been eaten for over 8000 years. years.
