Roasted Bell Pepper Soup w/ Corn & Carrot Fritters + Chilli Mint Yoghurt Dip

What a mouthful, eh?

It literally becomes one once you taste this soup! Beautifully roasted bell peppers, which transform their flavour, becoming wonderfully smokey, charred, and sweet. Blended up with some more veggies into a smooth soup, then served alongside these lovely corn and carrot nuggets, plus a tangy chilli mint yoghurt dip! Although it's technically spring, and the sun is peeking between the clouds here and there, it's still quite cold in the Netherlands - which makes it all that more perfect to squeeze in a couple more soups for the season!

As to the fritters, make them with any other veggies that you like! They are great served as a finger food, or alongside a meal - just be sure to remove the excess water from the chosen veggies that you'll be using, and to follow the main ratios of "batter" to vegetables. That way you can get them nice and crispy every time!

Let's dive in, shall we?

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

SOUP:

3 red bell peppers, washed & patted dry
2 shallots, roughly chopped (or use 1 medium red/purple onion instead)
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
500 ml vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

FRITTERS:

100g flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
70 ml milk
1 + 3 tablespoons olive oil (1 for the batter, approx. 3 for frying up the fritters)
285 g canned corn, rinsed and patted dry
1 medium carrot, grated
2 - 3 spring onions, sliced thinly, or diagonally
handful of parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

CHILLI MINT YOGHURT DIP:

170g greek yoghurt
1/2 red chilli, minced
4 - 5 mint leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 lime

To start off, wash and pat dry your peppers. Brush them with olive oil, then set on a foil lined baking sheet and broil for 15 - 20 minutes at 200 °C , or until all sides are charred. Be sure to check on them frequently, to turn sides for even charring. Once done, set them aside to cool off for 5 - 10 minutes, then remove the skin and seeds. Give them a rough chop, and set aside for later.

Once the peppers are in the oven, chop up and prepare all the rest of your veggies. Meaning ; chop up shallots / red onion, garlic & celery for the soup, spring onions & parsley for the fritters, chilli & mint for the dip. Rinse and pat dry your corn and grate your carrot, When you got them all prepped, we can get on with making the fritters!

Sieve your flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add in your egg, milk, and season with salt and pepper. Give it a mix with a whisk to incorporate evenly, then add a drizzle of olive oil to loosen up the mixture. Again, whisk to combine. Add in the corn, carrot, spring onion, and parsley, then switch to a spatula. Fold the ingredients together until you get a nice and even batter.

For the soup, sauté your shallots or red onion, together with the garlic and celery in addition with some olive oil, as well as salt & pepper, until translucent on a medium heat. When there, add in your stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to get a gentle simmer. Add in the roasted peppers and bay leaf, cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, you can combine the chopped chilli, mint, and lime juice with the yoghurt. Mix to combine evenly, then set in the fridge until the fritters are done.

Grab a non stick pan, and heat it up to a medium / high heat. Once heated, add in some oil, then dollop your fritter mixture into the pan with a spoon. Make sure to lightly press the top, to flatten the, and make them cook more evenly. Dollop the mixture in a clockwise order, so you know which one to turn first. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a kitchen towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil.

When your soup is cooked transfer it to a blender, (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. I topped mine off with a drizzle of olive oil, cream, and hemp seeds!

Serve up the meal, and you're done!