Roasted Red Pepper Soup
To make roasted red pepper soup, char red peppers under the broiler until blackened, steam and peel them, then simmer with onion, garlic, and tomato and blend until smooth, finishing with a little cream. Roasting the peppers is what gives the soup its deep, sweet, smoky flavour — raw peppers can't match it. Peeling off the charred skins keeps the texture silky. Serve hot with a swirl of cream and crusty bread.
Roasted red pepper soup is late summer in a bowl — sweet peppers charred until smoky, blended smooth with tomato and a little cream into something silky, rich, and a gorgeous deep red. When the pepper plants are heavy and the market bins are overflowing, this is the cozy, elegant way to use them up.
Roasting is the flavour
Don’t skip the char. Roast the peppers under the broiler (or over a flame or on the grill) until the skins are blackened all over, then steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes so the skins slip off. That deep, sweet, smoky flavour is the whole soul of the soup — raw peppers give a thin, grassy result instead.
Peel for silk
Peeling off the charred skins is what makes the blended soup silky rather than stringy. It’s a few minutes of work that transforms the texture.
Creamy, your way
Blended, the soup is naturally smooth, so it needs only a little cream to finish — or none. Blend in a cooked potato or a splash of coconut milk for a dairy-free version with body.
Make it yours
- Shortcut: good jarred roasted peppers for a fast weeknight version.
- Smoky depth: a pinch of smoked paprika or a chipotle.
- Herby: basil blended in, or a swirl of pesto on top.
- Heartier: a handful of cooked rice or white beans.
Serve it hot with a swirl of cream, a scatter of basil, and crusty bread for dipping. It’s a simple, elegant soup that makes a pepper harvest taste like something special.
At a glance
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Char the peppers under the broiler until blackened all over. Steam in a covered bowl 10 minutes, then peel and seed.
- Soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil.
- Add the roasted peppers, tomato, and broth. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Blend until smooth. Stir in the cream and season.
- Serve hot with a swirl of cream and crusty bread.
Frequently asked questions
How do I roast and peel the peppers?
Char the whole peppers under the broiler (or over a gas flame, or on the grill), turning until the skins are blackened and blistered all over. Then put them in a bowl covered with a plate, or a bag, for 10 minutes — the steam loosens the skins. Once cool enough to handle, the charred skins slip right off, and you scrape out the seeds. This roasting step is where the flavour comes from.
Can I use jarred roasted peppers to save time?
Yes — good-quality jarred roasted red peppers are a fine shortcut and make this a very quick soup. Drain them and use them in place of the fresh roasted ones. The flavour won't be quite as deep as peppers you've charred yourself, but it's excellent for a weeknight. In peak pepper season, roasting your own is worth it; the rest of the year, the jar is your friend.
How do I make it creamy without cream?
The soup is naturally silky once blended, so you don't need much. For a dairy-free version, skip the cream and blend in a cooked potato or a splash of coconut milk for body, or just leave it as a bright pepper-and-tomato soup. A good blend is what makes it smooth; the cream is a finishing touch, not a requirement.