My husband Gary declares this the best recipe in my cookbook. It's guaranteed to wow your family and your dinner party guests. They'll never guess that yogurt is the soup base, because it is completely masked by the flavor of the roasted red peppers. The only time-consuming part in making this recipe is roasting the peppers. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
| 1 3⁄4 | lb | red bell peppers (washed and dried) |
| 1 1⁄4 | lb | yellow red peppers (washed and dried) |
| 2 | c | Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt |
| 2 | tbsp | chopped fresh chervil |
| 2 | tbsp | chopped fresh tarragon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil |
| 1 | tsp | salt (or to taste) |
| white pepper (to taste) | ||
| 2 | tbsp | balsamic vinegar |
| 1 | lb | small shrimp (peeled and poached; or one pound bay scallops poached) |
| Garnish | ||
|---|---|---|
| Julienne red and yellow bell peppers | ||
| Yogurt mixed with more fresh chervil (tarragon and basil to taste) | ||
Preheat the broiler and place the boiler rack as close to the heat as possible. Use aluminum foil to line a baking sheet and form sides. Place the peppers on the foil and broil them, turning them with tongs every few minutes until they are charred all over. Be carful not to break the skins. Remove the charred peppers and place in a large bowl and let cool.
When the peppers are cool, place a colander over a large bowl and peel the peppers. Catch the peeled peppers in the colander and the juices in the bowl. Discard the seeds and blackened skins.
Transfer the peppers and their juice to the bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blades. Puree until smooth (you may strain the purée through a sieve if you prefer a fine-textured soup we preferred it unstrained) Return the strained mixture to the food processor with the steel blades in place. Add the yogurt, chopped herbs, salt, white pepper, and vinegar. Process until blended. Pour the soup into a bowl and chill it.
Serve very cooled, poured over the poached shrimp or scallops divided into 6 individual soup bowls. Garnish with julienned peppers and yogurt mixed with chervil, tarragon and basil.