Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This roasted red pepper soup is made with fire-roasted tomatoes and warm and smoky spices like smoked paprika and cumin. It is full of rich flavor from freshly roasted red bell peppers.

This tasty soup is easy enough for a weeknight meal yet elegant enough for company. For the ultimate finish, garnish with heavy cream and chopped fresh Italian parsley.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

• Bell peppers: Use red, orange, or yellow. I threw in a few elongated peppers I got on sale at the market.
• Smoked paprika: Not to be confused with sweet paprika. The red peppers are smoked over an oak fire before grinding. This spice adds a lot of flavor dimension.
• Broth: Preferably low-sodium vegetable broth, but you can substitute low-sodium beef or chicken broth.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: If you can not find them, you can substitute regular diced tomatoes.
• Rotel fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Rotel has fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles. If you can not find them, use regular, mild, or, if you like things a little spicier, hot Rotel tomatoes with green chiles.
• Heavy cream: You can substitute whipping cream.

How To Make Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Split the peppers in half, remove the stems and seeds. Place them cut side down on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Rub or brush the tops with olive oil. Roast them for about 30 minutes or until the skins are blackened and blistered.
2. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let them steam for about 30 minutes and remove and discard the skins.
3. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until the onion is soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
4. Stir in the vegetable broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, tomato paste, and the roasted peppers.
5. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are very tender. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy.

Preparation Tips for Success

• You can roast and peel red peppers up to 3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes really add to this recipe, so it is a bonus if you can find them.
• Swirl a little cream into the soup. Use a small cup and drizzle the cream into the soup in a spiral motion. Using a shish kabob stick, swirl the heavy cream in a figure eight or a crisscross pattern to form a web.

Recipe:

Course: main meal soup, Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Steaming Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4-5 red or orange bell peppers
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2-3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• heavy cream
• chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Split the peppers in half, remove the stems and seeds. Place them cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Rub or brush the tops with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast them for 30-40 minutes or until the skins are blackened and blistered.
• Put the peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let them steam for about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the skins.
• Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until the onion is soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
• Pour in the vegetable broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, tomato paste, and roasted red peppers.
• Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the carrots are very tender. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy.
• Garnish with cream and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

• Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
• Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. 
• Freeze thoroughly cooled soup in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.