Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Green Chiles & Smoked Chicken

Sweet mild red bell peppers combined with fiery dried chiles form the base of this beautiful red soup. The smoky taste of both the roasted peppers and the chicken make for a flavorful and unusual cold-weather dish. If you prefer a milder soup, reduce the amount of cayenne or small red chiles to 1 tablespoon. Serve warm tortillas or tortilla chips and a green salad alongside.

Directions: In a large soup pot, cook the onion, garlic and spices in the olive oil and butter over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock and red peppers and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook for 15 minutes.

Cool the soup mixture to room temperature. Puree in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine wire mesh, and return mixture to the saucepan. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add all but a few strips of the roasted green chiles (chop the remaining chiles for garnish) and the chicken. Reduce heat to moderate and cook for 15 minutes.

Season the soup with salt and pepper, and serve with a drizzle of sour cream and the chopped bits of the remaining green chiles. Serves 6-8.