The smoothness of this red pepper soup pairs perfectly with the addition of a creamy crab salad—making this dish an ideal dinner, served warm, cold, or even at room temperature.

Instructions:

1. Stem the peppers then quarter them lengthwise. Cut out and discard seeds and membranes. Slice peppers lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips to yield about 5 cups.
2. In a large, heavy pot over low heat, melt butter. When hot, add peppers and stir to coat well with butter, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are very soft but not browned, 45 to 50 minutes or more.
3. Add broth, then whisk in cream cheese. Cook, stirring, until cream cheese has melted and soup is just barely warm, only a few minutes. (Don’t worry if there are still specks of cream cheese.)
4. Purée the soup in batches in a food processor or blender, then return it to the pot. (Or, use an immersion blender to purée the soup in the pot.) There may be tiny bits of red pepper remaining after the soup is puréed. If soup is too thick, thin with a few tablespoons of stock or water. Season with salt to taste and a pinch cayenne for extra heat. (The soup can be prepared one day ahead. Cook to this stage, cool, cover, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature to serve or reheat if serving warm. If serving chilled, season with more salt if needed since chilled soups often need extra seasoning.)
5. For the crab salad, in a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sherry, and orange zest. Stir in crab, green onions, and chives, and mix to blend. (Crab salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead; keep covered and refrigerated.)
6. To serve, fill a ¼-cup measuring cup or a small ramekin with crab mixture and unmold in the center of a shallow soup bowl. Ladle some soup around the crab mixture. Repeat to make 5 more servings.