Pumpernickel Recipe 14 - Roasted Garlic and Pepper soup with Pumpernickel croutons

This delicious soup will give you a hit of roasted chili flavor that's perfect for the tail end of winter. Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:

Soup
4 fresh Hungarian or poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 small white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 heads of garlic, peeled
1 bunch shallots chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons chopped parsley leaves
Sour Cream (optional)

Pumpernickel croutons:
4 slices pumpernickel bread, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon hungarian paprika
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Preparation:
Turn on broiler to 450 degrees. Baste peppers with 1 tbsp of the ovile oil and place on a cookie sheet. Broil for 12 minutes, turning, until the peppers start to blister. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool, and change the oven setting to bake, remaining at 450°F. In a 4 quart saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add the water and chicken stock, and cream. Bring just to boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.

At the same time, once the peppers are cool enough to handle, use your hands to remove the skins, pull off the stem and remove the core and seeds. Chop the peppers coarsely and add them to the soup while it simmers.

Toss the crouton ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes or until browned. Be careful to avoid burning them. Remove immediately and let cool.

Purée the soup using a blender or a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with pumpernickel croutons and parsley, and serve with a dollop of sour cream.