- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 3 cups hot chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 12 sea scallops, quartered
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add peppers and broth; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Carefully transfer soup to a blender, add basil and vinegar and puree until smooth.
- Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat over medium low heat. Stir in the cream and allow to heat through, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a medium skillet over high heat until very hot. Place scallops in a medium bowl and coat with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place scallops in pan and cook, turning once until well seared, about 5 minutes.
- Ladle equal portions of soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with scallops and serve.