A rich and intensely flavoured Roasted Red Pepper Soup made with sweet, charred red peppers, garlic, sun dried tomatoes for an extra flavour kick and topped with homemade basil pesto and a creme fraiche swirl. Warm, comforting and easy!
This roasted red pepper soup has a rich, thick and creamy consistency that you could eat it at room temperature during the summer months or nice and hot when the weather turns chilly.
I never used to be keen on pepper sauces or soups because they always came out overly sweet to me but this red pepper soup has the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours.
I added a splash of lemon juice which really made a difference and the sun dried tomatoes totally transform the flavours from too sweet to perfect!
It's completely veggie, super healthy, delicious and SO easy to make, I love it!
Should I Peel the Peppers?
No, I don't peel the red peppers, if you roast them until they are super soft then there's no need to peel them.
But if you prefer to peel them then cut the peppers in half instead of chunks so they are easier to peel. After roasting if the skins don't peel easily then place them in a ziploc bag whilst still hot for a few minutes and the skins should come off easily.
How To Make Roasted Red Pepper Soup - Step By Step
Roughly chop the red peppers (bell peppers or sweet pointed peppers) and place in a large baking tray with peeled whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then roast in the oven until slightly charred (photos 1 & 2).
Finely chop a white (yellow) onion and saute with a little olive oil until translucent and soft in a large pot. Once soft, add the roasted peppers and garlic, sun dried tomatoes and vegetable stock (photos 3-5).
Simmer for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and blend until completely smooth and creamy using an immersion blender.
Tip: At this point taste for seasoning, I only add pepper because there's enough saltiness from the stock, sun dried tomatoes and pre seasoned peppers (photo 6).
Add a small splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, stir and serve with a drizzle of creme fraiche and homemade pesto. Grab a hunk of crusty bread and dive in.
The Pesto Swirl - Serving Suggestions
Pesto is pretty much the best thing on earth, right? I could eat it by the spoonful. If you know me you'll know I'm talking about real homemade pesto and not that jarred stuffed that's pretty much a lie in a jar. Ha, it just ain't pesto folks...always go homemade or leave it out.
The homemade pesto is swirled on top of the roasted red pepper soup with a little creme fraiche and it's CRAZY delicious, find my recipe for homemade pesto here.
And of course, some crusty bread never goes a miss with a big warm bowl of soup.
Homemade focaccia is also perfect for dunking and dipping, yum!
Top Tips For Making This Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Make sure you have a large enough baking tray so the peppers aren't too crowded. They tend to stew instead of roasting and charring if they aren't spread out evenly.
- If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a normal stand blender, just pour or ladle it in from the pot (be careful not to overfill when it's hot).
- You could add red pepper flakes to add a kick of spice.
- Got tomatoes that need used up? Chop them and roast them with the peppers!
- Serve with hunks of crusty bread or focaccia for dunking!
- Once cooled you can store this soup in the fridge (minus the pesto and creme fraiche) for 1-2 days or freeze in suitable containers for up to 3 months.
- Like most soups and stews this soup is even more delicious the next day.
More Easy Soup Recipes You Might Like;
- Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Tuscan Farro Soup
- Ribollita - Tuscan vegetable soup
- Chickpea Soup
- Zucchini and potato soup
If you’ve tried this Roasted Red Pepper Soup or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 6 red bell or pointed peppers (1.6 lbs/750g (around 6 peppers)
- 1 yellow onion
- 5 sun dried tomatoes jarred
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and whole
- 1 squeeze lemon juice (around ½ tablespoon)
- 2.5 cups vegetable stock (600ml)
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoon homemade pesto
- creme fraiche for topping
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Roughly chop the red peppers and place in a large baking tray with peeled whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then roast in the oven until slightly charred (around 40 minutes).
- Finely chop a white (yellow) onion and saute in a large pot with a little olive oil until translucent and soft. Once soft, add the roasted peppers and garlic, sun dried tomatoes and vegetable stock.
- Simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat and blend until completely smooth using an immersion blender. Taste for seasoning, I only add pepper because there's enough saltiness from the stock and sun dried tomatoes and pre seasoned peppers.
- Add a small splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, stir and serve with a drizzle of creme fraiche and homemade pesto. Grab a hunk of crusty bread and dive in.
Notes
- Make sure you have a large enough baking tray so the peppers aren't too crowded. They tend to stew instead of roasting and charring if they aren't spread out evenly.
- If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a normal stand blender, just pour or ladle it in from the pot.
- You could add red pepper flakes to add a kick of spice
- Once cooled you can store this soup in the fridge (minus the pesto and creme fraiche) for 1-2 days or freeze in suitable containers for up to 3 months.
- Like most soups and stews this soup is even more delicious the next day
Nutrition
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use this brand for the best results and flavour
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Deborah Fisher
I've just made this soup and it's delicious even though I've only just made it. I agree that most soups are often better after a few days or even frozen. .
I wasn't going to add the lemon juice, bit glad I did.
Definitely going in my recipe book.
Emily
So happy you enjoyed it!
Mersenne
I made this soup for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious, especially with the suggested creme fraiche and homemade pesto. A winner, thank you!
Lynn
Can you use yellow and orange peppers as well?
Emily
You can but it will change the flavour, I'd use mainly red peppers if you have them.