Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Time is on your side with this satisfying red pepper soup! Most soups need to simmer at least 30 minutes to intensify their flavor. Thanks to jarred roasted red peppers and fiery canned tomatoes, this soup is ready-to-eat in just 20 minutes. Just simmer, blend, and serve! I like to serve this roasted red pepper soup on a Tuesday night with toasty grilled cheese dunkers. It’s casual enough for the kids, and fiery enough for the adults.

• Only six ingredients
• Creamy & rich, but not too heavy
• Sweet, smoky, and hearty

If hot soup warms you up like an oversized sweater, you’re in luck! I’m a soup fanatic too. Try my creamy cauliflower soup, vegetable beef soup, or my quick chicken noodle soup!

Key Ingredient Notes:

• Fire roasted diced tomatoes – Don’t overlook this kitchen shortcut. Fire roasted tomatoes are charred before they’re chopped and canned, which intensifies their natural sweetness and adds a hint of smoke. If you don’t have any, diced tomatoes will get the job done, but the results won’t be as bold.
• Roasted red bell peppers – While it’s easy to roast your own, it takes a solid 45 minutes to do so! Jarred, roasted red peppers impart the same sweet and smoky flavor without any of the hassle.
• Chicken stock – For the liquid base of the soup. I like to use better than bouillon, a concentrated chicken base that’s mixed with water to create a robust stock. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead.
• Smoked coarse sea salt – Optional, but recommended! Adds a subtle smokiness. If you don’t have it, swap with coarse sea or kosher salt. If you only have table salt, cut the amount in half. Since table salt granules are smaller, you need less.
• Basil – If you don’t have fresh basil, substitute with dried. Dried basil goes farther than fresh, so decrease the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.
• Heavy cream – Cream rounds out the sweetness. Half & half works fine too, or try Greek yogurt for a high-protein, healthy option.

How to make this recipe:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the roasted red peppers, tomatoes, chicken stock, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the fresh basil. No need to mince it. It will blitz into little pieces in the blender.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, carefully ladle the hot soup into a regular blender.
4. Carefully strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spoon or spatula to press into the sieve to extract as much soup as possible. If you don’t mind texture from the tomato skins, you can skip this step. Straining the soup gives it a velvety smooth texture.
5. Stir in the heavy cream, garnish with fresh basil, & serve with crusty bread.

Recipe Tips:

• If the soup tastes too acidic (depending on your tomatoes), add ½-1 teaspoon of sugar. Only do this after you add the cream because it rounds out the flavor and tames the acidity.
• Top this roasted pepper soup with crunchy croutons, crushed crackers, greek yogurt, pesto, gouda cheese, shredded mozzarella, or even shredded chicken!
• Serve it with crusty garlic bread or grilled cheese dunkers!

Storing Tips:

• Let the roasted red pepper soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• If you plan to freeze the soup, it’s best to leave out the cream. Cream-based soups separate when they’re defrosted causing a grainy, unpleasant texture. To freeze the soup, transfer to a freezer-safe container without the cream. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, then stir in the cream.

FAQs:

More Soup Recipes!

• Creamy Cauliflower Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
• Lentil soup with ham
• Irish Potato Soup
• Quick Chicken Noodle Soup