Red Pepper Potato Soup

1 red bell pepper

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 ½ cups chopped celery

6 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken stock, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ cups chopped carrot

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

½ teaspoon dried sage

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

Place the red bell pepper on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until the skin blisters, 15 to 20 minutes. Handling carefully, cut small slits with a knife into each of the 4 sides of the hot pepper. Immediately plunge the pepper a small bowl full of ice water for 2 minutes. Slice the pepper in half. Remove and discard the skin. Chop the flesh into small pieces. Set aside.

While the pepper roasts, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic in the melted butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Pour 3 cups of the chicken stock into the pot; season with salt and pepper. Add 3 more cups of the chicken stock, the carrots, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir the potatoes into the soup along with the remaining 2 cups of stock; bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Add the roasted pepper, sage, and ginger. Continue boiling until the potatoes and carrots are tender, another 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.