Yield: 8 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| ¼ cup | Olive oil |
| 3 tablespoons | Garlic; minced |
| 1 large | Sweet yellow onion; diced |
| ½ teaspoon | Ground cumin |
| 1 tablespoon | Fresh thyme leaves |
| 6 eaches | Fresh red New Mexican chiles; roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced |
| 2½ pounds | Russet potatoes; peeled and diced |
| 6 cups | Chicken stock |
| \N \N | Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste |
| 1 pounds | Scallops; stirred in - |
| 1 tablespoon | Olive oil; over medium heat until opaque all the way through |
| \N \N | Cilantro leaves for garnish |
| \N \N | Thin red bell pepper strips for garnish |
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven (2-¾ quart) over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, cumin, thyme, and peppers and cook, stirring, until the onions become translucent, then add the potatoes. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are quite tender, 20 to 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Puree the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth (you will need to do this in several batches). Thin with more chicken stock if needed and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the soup chilled, in shallow bowls garnished with the scallops, cilantro, and bell peppers.
Greg Higgins of Heathman Hotel, in _Red Hot Peppers_ Jean Andrews, 1993. MacMillan Publishing Co. ISBN 0-02-502251-2 Typos by Jeff Pruett.
Submitted By JEFF PRUETT On 11-13-95