This creamy yet light roasted red pepper soup is a twist on the classic cream of tomato soup. The sweetness of roasted bell peppers blends beautifully with the distinctive tartness of sun-dried tomatoes. The result is a comforting, delicious soup. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Traditional blended soups derive their smooth texture and thick consistency from liberal amounts of milk or cream (dairy-based or nut-based), or some type of starch (starchy vegetables, legumes, flour, etc. )
This soup doesn’t rely on either yet is perfectly thick and creamy. This is because bell peppers are high in fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs liquid, swells, and adds natural thickening power. Roasted bell peppers are also very soft and blend nicely into creamy soups.
Because this soup doesn’t contain anything but vegetables, it’s a great cleaning (detox) soup.
I am not a fan of fad diets or gimmicky health challenges because any type of deprivation with an expiration date tends to not have a lot of benefits once it’s over (if at all). But, there are many reasons people feel the need to press the reset button this time of year – overindulgence, stress, feelings of fatigue… and those are all valid reasons.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that changes to wellness happen gradually. A health reset shouldn’t feel like punishment or perfection. It should feel like something you can do for the rest of your life.
So, with that in mind, let’s talk about how to make this simple roasted red pepper tomato soup.
How to Make Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
This red pepper soup is one of the easiest soups you will ever make. The ingredients you will need are:
- Red bell peppers: roasted red bell peppers have a lightly sweet, smoky flavor that make this red pepper soup shine. If you like spicy flavors, feel free to use red poblano peppers or toss in even hotter peppers, such as red jalapenos or a serrano. You can realistically make this recipe with any thicker-walled peppers. If you want to change things up, try orange or yellow peppers instead of the red ones.
- Onion and garlic: roasted aromatics give off deep, well-rounded flavors and pleasing aromas. Together with the roasted bell peppers, aromatics complete the flavor base of this soup.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I like organic, dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes instead of the oil-packed ones, but either work here. Sun-dried tomatoes have an intense sweet-tart flavor that’s much more potent than fresh tomatoes, so a little goes a long way.
- Vegetable broth: using vegetable broth transforms what could be a great pasta sauce into a soup. You can add more or less broth, depending on the consistency you like. If you have time to make your own vegetable broth, do it!
- Lemon juice: acidity works wonders in balancing a dish and adding liveliness. Roasted bell peppers and aromatics are also rather sweet, and lemon juice counteracts the sweetness.
- Salt: the only seasoning I use in this soup is salt. However, you can use any herbs or spices you like – basil, oregano, thyme…
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Soup
This roasted ted pepper soup couldn’t be any easier:
- Cut and seed the bell peppers. Stand the first bell pepper on the bottom end (stem side up). Slice straight down on each side to form four straight pieces of the pepper. This keeps the seeds and ribs intact in the center. Repeat with the remaining peppers.
- Roast the peppers and the aromatics. Sprinkle the bell peppers, quartered onion and garlic cloves with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure you have a large enough baking sheet (use two sheets if necessary), so the vegetables aren’t too crowded and don’t steam instead of roasting. Roast the bell peppers and aromatics at 400°F/204°C until caramelized and slightly blackened, 25-30 minutes. The dry heat causes not only a little bit of scorching, but also caramelization of natural sugars.
- Peel the peppers (optional, depending on the type of peppers). Thin-skinned bell peppers don’t need to be peeled. If you’re using thick-skinned peppers, let the roasted peppers cool for a few minutes until comfortable enough to handle. Then peel the skins off and discard them. The skins will slip off easily. Some chefs recommend placing roasted peppers in a paper bag to steam for about 10 minutes to help loosen the skin. I’ve never found that to be necessary, but I guess it depends on how stubborn your particular peppers are.
- Blend. Add the roasted bell peppers, roasted aromatics, sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable broth, lemon juice, and salt into a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Once blended, the soup will take on a deep red-orange hue and silky-smooth texture.
How to Serve Roasted Red Pepper Soup
When serving a creamy soup, it can look flat or boring without some type of garnish. I like to drizzle it with a little bit of cashew cream (totally optional), sprinkle it with freshly cracked black pepper, and top it with pea shots for some color.
You can also serve the soup with homemade croutons or crusty sourdough bread.
How to Store Red Pepper Soup
Puréed soups taste even better the next day – the harsh flavors soften, the ingredients have a chance to absorb the tasty broth, and everything transforms from very distinct flavors into one harmonious soup.
- Refrigerate: allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container (leaving a little bit of room for expansion) and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: transfer frozen soup into the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating to thaw slightly. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Add ¼ cup/60 ml water/broth at a time if too thick.
MORE PURÉED SOUP RECIPES
If you’re interested in more puréed soup recipes, I have an entire blog post with Vitamix soup recipes and tips for making blended soups. Some of the recipes include:
- Butternut squash soup: this butternut squash soup is everything you expect from a traditional butternut squash soup – rich, creamy, and full of roasted butternut squash flavor. It undoubtedly falls into the comfort food category.
- Cream of broccoli soup: you would never know this broccoli soup is entirely plant-based. It has a rich taste and the most luxurious creamy texture.
- Cream of cauliflower soup: this soup is lusciously creamy, a bit garlicy, and slightly nutty. What makes this cauliflower soup shine is roasted cauliflower and caramelized aromatics.
- Cream of mushroom soup: if you love cream of mushroom soup and want to skip the canned stuff, this soup is your new favorite soup. It’s so creamy, rich, and satisfying that you would never guess it’s dairy-free.
- Gazpacho: there are a million and one versions of gazpacho out there, so this is my most basic recipe to get you started. This soup is refreshing, light, and flavor-packed.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 6 red bell peppers , cut lengthwise and seeded*
- 1 yellow onion , quartered
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes , dry-packed
- 3.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- salt , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400ºF/204ºC.
- Roast the peppers and the aromatics. Sprinkle the bell peppers, quartered onion and garlic cloves with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure you have a large enough baking sheet (use two sheets if necessary), so the vegetables aren't too crowded and don't steam instead of roasting. Roast the bell peppers and aromatics until caramelized and slightly blackened, 25-30 minutes.
- Peel the peppers (optional, depending on the peppers). Thin-skinned bell peppers don't need to be peeled. If you're using thick-skinned peppers, let the roasted peppers cool for a few minutes until comfortable enough to handle. Then peel the skins off and discard them. The skins will slip off easily.
- Blend. Add the roasted bell peppers, roasted aromatics, sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable broth, lemon juice, and salt into a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Once blended, the soup will take on a deep red-orange hue and silky-smooth texture.
- Season. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness and lemon juice for acidity. If the soup is not sweet enough, you can add a little bit of maple syrup.
- Serve. Pour the soup into serving bowls - it will be hot straight out of the blender (if using Vitamix). Garnish with a drizzle of cashew cream and a sprinkle of black pepper.
- Reheat. Transfer frozen soup into the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating to thaw slightly. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Add ¼ cup/60 ml water/broth at a time if too thick.
Recipe Notes
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