Creamy Bell Pepper and Orange Tomato Soup

 Creamy Bell Pepper and Orange Tomato Soup - Seriously Soupy

Originally, this soup was intended to be a roasted red pepper and orange tomato, but thanks to issues with my oven the soup was boiled and blended -- classic soupy style. No worries, though, the combination of red and yellow peppers and orange tomatoes created quiet the flavorful soup that also included garlic, basil, lemon thyme, cinnamon and yogurt. Very easy to prepare, this soup smelled really good during the quick cooking process (less than an hour) that was equally amazing to eat: smooth, creamy and slightly sweet. A perfect summer soup that can be savored roasted or not.

Indian-Inspired Mulligatawny Soup

 Indian-Inspired Mulligatawny Soup -- Seriously Soupy

After I mastered making my own vegetable broth (ok, there wasn't that much to master), I found myself with eight cups of stock and one too many soup ideas. I wanted to deviate from what I typically make on Soupy and was instantly attracted to a Indian-inspired Mulligatawny soup recipe from the amazing book "500 soups." Reading more about this soup, it was interesting to learn that it actually isn't a traditional Indian soup at all, but rather, a soup that was adapted by the British who loved the side dish of Indian peas and lentils that they turned into a soup and called Indian (SoupSong.com).

For this recipe, I used the suggested list of ingredients -- red lentils and coconut milk and added some of my own -- yogurt, dill, potatoes, cauliflower and chickpeas. As it was cooking, I found that the chili pepper and jalapeno really made the soup pop (not to mention caused some mild tearing), so I added more cinnamon, yogurt and lime - maybe next time I wouldn't use both spices. For those of you that want a spicy Mulligatawny soup; don't worry it still has a kick. Probably one of my favorites, the soup had so many different flavors and ingredients that it was not only satisfying as a soup, but filled me up like any meal would.  I hope you enjoy this one, I know I did...

How to Make Vegetable Stock

Medley of veggies cut up for stock - Seriously Soupy

Veggies in water - Seriously Soupy

As I mentioned in my recent ode to fresh herbs post, bouillon and store-bought stock used to be the norm here on Seriously Soupy, but fellow soup lover, I didn't realize how easy it is to actually make your own stock. Silly, I know, especially since all you need to make stock is a medley of veggies, water and a container. For this simple veggie stock recipe, I used a massive stalk of scallions (see picture!) and carrots (also massive) from my local farmers market, an oldish head of broccoli, onions, zucchini, dill, potatoes, salt and pepper -- that's it! After only two-three hours of cooking, I had eight cups of veggie stock that I will be using for two different soups this week (check out the first soup recipe on Friday). Another cool thing about stock is that you can add any combination of veggies and their bits and pieces -- ends, roots, whatever. The more, the better, and trust me, your soup never tasted and looked so good!