Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Serrano Ham Toasts

Directions

Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler; preheat the broiler. Put the peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning, until charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside 5 to 10 minutes. Peel the peppers; discard the stems and seeds.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and paprika and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the peppers and simmer until the peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until very smooth (or blend in the pot with an immersion blender). Strain the soup if desired. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt.
Halve the baguette lengthwise and cut each half crosswise into 4 pieces. Put the bread on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with the cheese and broil until the bread is well toasted around the edges and the cheese is bubbly, 1 to 2 more minutes.
Drizzle the toasts with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and top with the ham. Serve with the soup.

Photograph by Andrew Purcell