Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup Recipe

Coziness in a bowl

Red peppers and tomatoes. A pairing for soup doesn’t get much better. You’ll find as much delight in your bowl as you will comfort, but before we get into how to make it, let’s take a look at everything you’ll need to put it together and what each element brings to the bowl:

• Red bell peppers – the star of the show, giving them a roast brings out their sweetness and lends the soup a lovely smoky depth

• Tomatoes – ripe and juicy, these will create that all-important rich and hearty base

• Onions and garlic – these aromatic veg will provide a savoury depth, and by sautéing them it’ll add a wonderful complexity to the soup

• Veg or chicken broth – whether veggie or chicken, the broth will serve as the liquid base of the soup

• Seasonings – salt and pepper, and basil, thyme and/or oregano, herbs that complement the sweetness of the peppers and the tanginess of the tomatoes

• Olive oil – crucial for roasting the peppers, sautéing the veg, and just giving the soup an overall richness

• Cream – to make the soup creamy, but it’s of course entirely optional

Ingredients and step-by-step method

Roast the red peppers:

Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).

Place the red bell peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil.

Roast the peppers in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until their skins are charred and blistered.

Remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a covered bowl or a sealed plastic bag to allow them to steam for about 15 minutes.

After steaming, peel off the skin, remove the seeds, and chop the roasted peppers into small pieces.

Sauté the onions and garlic:

In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat.

Add finely chopped onions and minced garlic to the pot.

Sauté until the onions become translucent and aromatic, which usually takes about 5-7 minutes.

Add tomatoes and red peppers:

Stir well to combine the ingredients.

Simmer with broth and seasonings:

Pour in vegetable or chicken broth to cover the ingredients in the pot.

Season with salt, pepper, and your choice of herbs (basil, thyme, or oregano).

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes. This allows the flavours to meld and the soup to thicken.

Blend the soup:

Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup in batches to a blender. Be cautious as the mixture will be hot.

Blend until smooth and creamy. If desired, add heavy cream for a creamy texture.

And now, time to serve. Get ladling.

A note on pairing your Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

A Red Pepper and Tomato soup is a very fine thing to have in front of you at the dining table. But there’s some things that it pairs brilliantly with, and they’ll just make your soup-ing all the more enjoyable. Like:

• Crusty bread – some artisanal crusty bread or a warm baguette, preferably buttered, or some croutons scattered over the soup for added crunch

• Grilled cheese sandwich – a classic combo, this is a match made in comfort food heaven, with the gooeyness of the cheese melding beautifully with the soup

• Salad – for a light, refreshing side, the crispness of the greens and the tangy dressing contrasting nicely with the rich, silky soup

• Bruschetta – the herby freshness will complement the soup wonderfully

• Avocado toast – with some sea salt and red pepper flakes sprinkled on top this will add a creamy and slightly spicy element to proceedings

• Cheese and charcuterie – an assortment of cheeses and cured meats will offer some lovely savouriness and a variety of flavours and textures to things

• Grilled chicken or shrimp – for a more substantial meal, the different textures and flavours play beautifully off each other   

• Quiche – couple your soup with some quiche for the perfect brunch or lunch