Directions

For this recipe you can make your own vegetable stock or use premade. I find it's best with homemade stock, just simmer celery, onion, carrot and whatever other vegetables you have around, along with herbs and peppercorns, in water for a few hours, and pour through a fine mesh strainer. Halve the bell peppers, lightly brush with oil and stick 'em under a broiler until they're black and roasted. Put in a paper bag, close it, and let them steam for a few minutes. Peel off the blackened skin and reserve the peppers. Turn the oven to 350 or so and cut the top of the garlic bulb off lengthwise, coat with olive oil and roast. Squeeze the roasted garlic into a bowl and reserve. Cut off the leafy ends of the leeks and the root end, leaving just the white parts. Cut in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly to get rid of any dirt. Chop into thin slices. In a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, heat up olive oil and sweat the leeks and roasted garlic til nearly translucent. Add the apples, the herbs and some salt and saute to give the apples a little color but mostly to start to soften them. Add the peppers, saute a bit more til everything starts to release juices and soften. Add stock. Simmer 15 minutes or so, taste for seasoning. Use an immersion blender to thoroughly blend the hot soup, and toss in a couple tablespoons of cold butter while blending, it'll melt and make the soup's consistency amazing.