I made this soup for Philip and Bob Wilson during a visit to Boulder, Colorado. It was the first course of a meal that included Philip’s Chicken with Asiago, Prosciutto, and Mushrooms. It was also the last meal we cooked together. I’ll always miss cooking with him.
2 shallots, sliced
About a half bunch of green onions, diced
15- or 16-oz jar roasted red peppers in water
1 t sugar
2 C low-salt chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth or water to make a vegetarian version)
1/2 C orange juice
2 T whipping cream
3/4 t grated orange peel
Handful thinly-sliced fresh basil leaves
4 whole basil leaves, for garnish
Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and green onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the red peppers with their liquid and sugar, cook for a couple more minutes. Add the broth and simmer for another 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or cool slightly and use a regular blender, pureeing the soup in batches).
Bring soup to a light simmer and add the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, whisk the orange peel with the whipping cream until it thickens a little bit. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the cream over it in a pretty pattern, then sprinkle with the fresh basil. Garnish with a whole basil leaf.