This Roasted Red Pepper Soup recipe is absolute perfection! It is bright, fresh, comforting, and so delicious, with smoky undertones and a hint of spice. Roast your peppers in the oven, on the grill - or use the store-bought jarred variety! It can be made vegan or regular by using a plant-based sour cream (or omitting it altogether). Ready to try it?
Why You’ll Love This Red Pepper Soup Recipe
- Easy - This recipe gives instructions on how to easily roast your own bell peppers (oven or grill). It's a simple process and can be done ahead of time, but it's okay to use jarred!
- Make Ahead - This delicious soup can be made 3 to 4 days in advance, so it's perfect for meal prepping. It keeps and reheats really well, AND you can freeze it!
- Healthy - This healthy red pepper soup is gluten-free, low carb, keto, vegetarian, and has no added sugar. It can also be adapted to vegan by omitting the dairy and using a plant-based substitute. This soup is lower in fat so keto followers can increase the fat by using more olive oil, full-fat sour cream, and garnishing with cheese.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup Ingredients
- Red Bell peppers - fresh is used in this recipe however you can use jarred roasted red bell peppers; check the recipe card for amounts.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Onion - use any preferred variety, I used a yellow onion and sometimes white.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Kosher salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Garlic - fresh minced.
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Bay Leaf
- Smoked Paprika - one of my favorite ingredients! It adds a wonderful smoky taste.
- Dried Basil - 2 tablespoons of fresh basil can be substituted.
- Dried Thyme - 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme can be substituted.
- Canned Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes - any canned diced tomato variety will work - plain, with garlic, green pepper, or green chilies.
- Vegetable Broth - you can also use chicken broth.
- Sour Cream (plant-based or regular) - use plant based to make this dairy-free and vegan. Use full fat if following keto.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Red Pepper Soup Variations and Substitutions
- Brown kielbasa or smoked sausage slices in a skillet (and any accumulated juices) add to the soup after blending. Simmer a few minutes longer to blend flavor.
- Use cream or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You can also swap out a dairy-free plant-based sour cream.
- Spice level - if you don't like spice omit red pepper flakes or reduce it in half. If you want it spicier, add extra red pepper flakes. You could also add a little chipotle powder or hot chili powder to your soup.
- Chipotle Seasoning or fajita seasoning would be wonderful in this soup, but since it is salted already, don't add the salt or pepper until the end. Add it to taste only.
- Feel free to replace or substitute items that you are unable to find fresh in your store, such as fresh herbs for dried, jarred roasted red peppers, jarred garlic, etc.
- Play around with herb combinations. Omit or replace the thyme or basil. Rosemary, cilantro, and parsley are great ideas.
How To Make Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this soup:
Roast the Peppers
Option 1: Oven Roasted Peppers
- Preheat your broiler on high and place your oven rack on the top shelf.
- Brush your bell peppers with olive oil and place skin side up on a baking sheet.
- Place the pan under the broiler and roast until the peppers are charred, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Option 2: Grilled Peppers
- Grease grill grates. Preheat grill to 450 degrees F.
- Brush the skin side of the peppers with olive oil and place the skin side down on the grill.
- Grill the peppers until the skin is charred, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove Skin
- Transfer the peppers to a lidded container and cover. Let the peppers sit and steam for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the charred skin from the peppers and discard them.
- When the peppers are cool enough to handle, the course chop them.
Make the soup
- Heat your olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat.
- Add your onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Next, add your garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the basil, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, red peppers, tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.
Blend together
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth or desired consistency is reached.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Ways to Serve Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup
- Garnishing Ideas: Garnish your soup with extra basil and sour cream if desired. Try garnishing your soup with greek yogurt or sour cream, sliced green onions, and feta cheese.
- Make it a meal: Serve with crusty bread, breadsticks, crackers, or croutons.
- Entree pairings: I love to serve my soup with fresh grilled cheese. It is comfort food at its finest. Make your sandwich using a blend of mozzarella, feta cheese or goat cheese, and gouda. Add a layer of pesto to your bread for even more flavor!
- Salad Pairings: A simple salad like this Blue Cheese Wedge Salad would pair very well on the side.
Tips for Red Pepper Soup
- Time-saving tip: the peppers can be roasted several days in advance.
- There are many ways to roast your peppers. The broiler works great, but feel free to roast them over an open flame if you have a gas burner, on a grill, or inside your air fryer. Times may vary, but all of these methods work very well.
- Fresh grilled peppers have a nicer depth of flavor than jarred, but if you are short on time, using jarred is fine.
How To Store Roasted Pepper Soup
To store leftovers, transfer soup to an airtight container and store it for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat Red Pepper Soup
Microwave: Place the roasted red pepper soup into a microwave-safe dish and heat on low until it reaches your desired temperature.
Stovetop: Transfer soup to a sauce pot and heat on low until heated through.
How to Freeze Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Place the soup into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup FAQs
What do you do with roasted red peppers?
You can use roasted red peppers in many sauces, such as pasta, pizza, etc. They can also be sliced up and added to soups, salads, or pasta dishes too! Place on pizza, and use on a charcuterie board.
How many calories are in roasted red pepper soup?
The amount of calories varies between each soup recipe, but in this one, there are approximately 114 calories in roasted red pepper soup per serving with 10g of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fat, and 2 grams of protein.
The fat content can be increased or lowered with changes in the amount of olive oil or the use of sour cream (fat-free, light, or full-fat).
Can I ask you a favor?
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📖 The recipe.
Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Soup
A bright, fresh, comforting soup recipe that's made extra delicious with its smoky undertones and a hint of spice. Roast your own peppers or use jarred. Use a plant-based sour cream substitute to make it dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients
Roasted Red Peppers
- 4 medium red bell peppers (cored, halved, and seeded; alternatively you can use 2 12-ounce jars of roasted red bell peppers)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (omit if using jarred peppers)
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or, 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup sour cream (use plant-based or regular)
Instructions
Roast The Peppers
In The Oven:
- Preheat the broiler setting of the oven to the top shelf and place the oven rack on the top shelf.
- Brush the bell peppers with olive oil and place skin side up on a baking sheet.
- Place the pan under the broiler and roast until the peppers are charred, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the peppers to a lidded container and cover. Let peppers sit and steam for 5 minutes. Remove lid and carefully remove the charred skin from the pepper and discard.
- Transfer the peppers to a lidded container and cover. Let the peppers sit and steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the charred skin from the peppers and discard them. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, the course chop them.
On The Grill:
- Grease grill grates. Preheat grill to 450 degrees F.
- Brush the skin side of the peppers with olive oil and place skin side down on the grill.
- Grill the peppers until the skin is charred, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer the peppers to a lidded container and cover. Let the peppers sit and steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the charred skin from the peppers and discard them. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, the course chop them.
Make The Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and caramelized, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add bell peppers, tomatoes, vegetable broth, basil, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth or desired consistency is reached.
- Stir in sour cream. Warm if needed. Serve
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Give it a Mediterranean twist, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with crusty bread, breadsticks, or crackers, and additional sour cream and garnish with basil or chopped chives.
Nutrition
Calories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 782mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5028IUVitamin C: 79mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
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If you're searching for recipes with bell peppers, you're in luck! I have three easy recipes I absolutely think you should try: Italian Crockpot Sausage and Peppers, which is loaded with flavor, this Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe, and Chicken Fajita Casserole - which are all family-friendly.
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