Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I've made this several times and it freezes very well -- just omit the pasta.  If you like, you can add pasta when you reheat it..  It gets hotter with time, so expect the red pepper heat to kick in if you freeze it for later.  Double or triple as you see fit, just make sure you have a large stock pot.

Ingredients

6-8 red peppers, roasted, peeled and diced  (don't buy the kind in the jar)
1 - 1.5 # italian sausage in casing (sweet, hot or mild)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 qt chicken stock
1 medium onion, diced
6-8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
black pepper

Non-standard supplies

None

Instructions

1. Pan fry the sausage for 4 minutes on each side, don't cut it and it won't be fully cooked yet
2. Slice into medallions
3. In a 2 qt pot, sautee onions until translucent
4. Add 1 tsp red pepper flakes unless using hot sausage - then only 1/2 tsp
5. Add garlic and stir until fragrant
6. Add canned tomatoes with liquid and cook for 5 min over medium heat to sweeten the tomatoes
7. Add stock and roasted peppers
8. Heat thoroughly, but don't boil
9. Add slices of sausage and cook over medium low for at least 15 minutes to finish cooking pork
10. Salt and pepper to taste

Variations

• Add dried pasta to broth and cook as directed -- orzo works well.