Heat the oil in a soup pot and then cook the onion, carrot, and celery about 8 minutes, stirring periodically. While they're cooking, you can fix the red peppers.

Add the cayenne and red peppers to the pot and stir, then stir in the chicken broth. It should be enough to cover the vegetables. If not, add a bit of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover partway, and cook 3o minutes or so. Turn the heat to low.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can also put it in a stand blender, 2 cups at at time and blend but be careful as it's quite hot. I love the immersion blender I have for soups.

Blend in the cream and taste. Add salt and pepper as necessary. How much you need to add depends on your taste buds and your chicken broth.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream (or creme fraiche) in each bowl.