Spicy Red Bell Pepper Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the bell peppers, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir the vegetables until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, rice, thyme, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the rice and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. and cool 30 minutes.
2.Blend the cooled soup until smooth using an hand-held immersion blender directly in the pot. Or use a blender, and blend the soup in batches until smooth.


Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JOSOO845.