If you’re tired of the regular menu line-up of chicken noodle and tomato bisque, Roasted Red Pepper Soup offers a refreshing remix!
Winter is soup weather. When Wisconsin transforms into the tundra for several months, anything served in a warm bowl earns a spot on the Porter family menu. Heck, on the chaotic, busy days, I’ll heat up canned soup and call it a night, not that this happens often. I always feel guilty, like Julia Child is watching from the pearly gates, full of disappointment.
Most of my soups aren’t too involved. The most time-consuming part is typically the simmering. There’s always a tomato soup or some brothy chicken recipe in the rotation, but some weeks I get bored with the usual, and so do my kids.
One afternoon, I noticed a whole mess of forgotten red peppers stuffed in a corner of the fridge. In my defense, I’d planned on making blackened chicken fajitas, but the week got away from me. Consequently, I was left with rubbery peppers destined for the compost bin. Then I remembered this incredible roasted red pepper soup I used to get at Soup Brothers, a Milwaukee lunch spot that is sadly no longer with us. I won’t pretend this tastes exactly like theirs, but I will say this—it’s dang delicious.
Overall, it’s a simple ingredient lineup, with red peppers as the star. When you roast them, you bring out the pepper’s sweeter, deeper side. They lose that bright flavor you find in salsas and salads. The sun-dried tomatoes add their own richness, and the lemons give the whole thing a citrusy zest.
Also, no roasted red pepper soup is complete without sour cream (or Greek yogurt). The creamy tang brings the perfect finish to a soup that requires only a smidgen of patience—and maybe a garnish of basil.
Roasting pepper—worth the extra step
Okay, so I’ve definitely tried red pepper soup sans roasting the peppers. Is it doable? Yeah, but when you simmer them, the flavors just don’t hit the same for me. Roasting red bell peppers brings out their natural sugars, causing them to caramelize until you get a smoky sweetness. Even the garlic tames in the oven and sweetens a bit. Simmering alone can only take you so far. So if you want my advice, roast the peppers!
How do I store leftovers?
Refrigerate your leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Like most soups, the flavors get better with time, so that’s a win! Simply warm it on your stovetop over medium heat. A microwave also works, but I’d only reheat it by the bowl—too much, and it won’t be evenly warmed. Also, the soup may thicken, so add a tablespoon or two of broth to thin it out.
Serving suggestions
To me, practically every soup needs some sort of topping. Aside from basil, this soup also pairs well with a sprinkle of Homemade Croutons or a handful of crushed Cheese Crisps.
Tap into your inner Panera and serve the soup with a Focaccia Sandwich—there’s something about deli and soup that just go hand-in-hand, right? Then again, you can always make Grilled Cheese or stick with something healthy and protein-packed like a Delicious Roasted Chicken Salad.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 6 red bell peppers about 25 ounces, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and whole
- 2 teaspoons olive oil plus extra for sautéing
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes jarred, roughly chopped
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Greek yogurt or sour cream for garnish
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the red bell peppers and whole garlic cloves in a bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, until the peppers are soft and slightly charred.
- While the peppers are roasting, heat a little olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped yellow onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted peppers, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot with the sautéed onion. Pour in the vegetable broth and allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and carefully blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream drizzled on top. Garnish with basil and serve hot.
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