This rich and creamy roasted red pepper soup recipe is very easy to make with juicy roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, and seasonings - simple and delicious!
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
This is one of my favorite soups, my friends! Perfect for chili pepper lovers. We're talking Roasted Red Pepper Soup, and it is loaded with red pepper flavor.
You'll get big flavor and creaminess from a simple roux, along with sweet onions, pungent garlic, and the perfect blend of complimentary spices.
I make this recipe often with hand roasted bell peppers, though it is very easy to customize with other chili peppers of choice. When I find red poblano peppers at my local farmer's market, I go straight to this recipe.
I love to toss in other hotter peppers as well, like a couple red jalapenos, maybe a serrano or two. Toss in a red habanero or ghost pepper for some real heat.
You can realistically make this recipe with any thicker-walled peppers, and change it up with whatever seasonings you prefer.
Here's how I am making mine today.
Let's talk about how to make roasted red pepper soup, shall we?
Roasted Red Pepper Soup Ingredients
- Red Bell Peppers. You can use other peppers, such as red poblano peppers, which I am using today. Add in hotter peppers if desired, or use a mix.
- Vegetable Oil. As we're making a roux, avoid olive oil, which has a lower smoke point. Peanut oil is great for making a roux.
- White Flour.
- Onion. I'm using white onion, but yellow onion or sweet onion are great as well.
- Garlic.
- Seasonings. Smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. See the Recipe Notes section for further options.
- Vegetable Stock. Vegetable broth is good. You can also use chicken stock or chicken broth.
- For Serving. Crispy croutons, crushed red pepper flakes, sliced chilies, fresh chopped parsley, olive oil or chili oil drizzle
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Soup - the Recipe Method
Roast the Red Peppers. Set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, skin sides up. Alternatively, roast them on a lightly oiled grill over medium heat.
Broil the red peppers for 15 minutes, or until the skins char and blacken. They should puff up. If using the grill, simply set the red peppers whole onto the hot grill at medium high heat. Turn them every few minutes, until the skins char and blacken.
Remove the peppers and set them into a bowl, cool slightly, then peel off the skins and discard them along with the seeds and stems. If the peppers don't peel easily, cover the bowl with plastic or a cloth to allow to steam, which will loosen the skins.
See my post on How to Roast Peppers or Roasted Red Peppers for more detailed instructions.
Rough chop the red peppers and set them aside.
Make the Roux. Add the peanut oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 8-10 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux browns to the color of peanut butter.
See my post on How to Make a Roux for more detailed instructions.
Onion. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Peppers, Garlic and Seasonings. Add the chopped roasted red peppers, garlic cloves, cumin and salt and pepper. Cook another minute, stirring.
Stock and Simmer. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes to 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.
Adjust. Adjust the consistency to your preference by adding more stock or water to thin.
Blend the Soup. Use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend the soup into a thin consistency, or transfer it to a food processor or blender and puree the soup in batches.
Garnish and Serve. Serve in bowls and garnish with olive oil or chili oil, chili flakes, pepper slices and fresh chopped parsley. Make some quick crispy croutons or use crusty bread! Grab a glass of white wine and enjoy.
Boom! Done! Your roasted red pepper soup is ready to serve. Doesn't it look delicious? So creamy and rich. I'm seriously ready to dive into this bowl.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Red Peppers. Most roasted red pepper soup recipes call for bell peppers, which are sweet and mild and full of flavor. You can use other red peppers from your garden, or use a mixture of red peppers. It is best to use peppers with thicker flesh to get more substance to your soup. I love mine with a mixture of peppers, including red bells, red poblanos, red jalapenos, sweet Italian peppers and other spicy peppers added to the mix.
- Jarred Roasted Red Peppers. Rather than roasting your own peppers, you can easily save time and make this recipe with a jar of roasted red peppers.
- Seasonings. Add in a tablespoon or 2 of your favorites, like fresh or dried herbs, Cajun seasonings, cayenne, and others.
- Creaminess. This soup is very creamy because it starts with a roux, which adds lots of flavor and texture. You can swirl heavy cream into the soup during the last few minutes of simmering for an even richer and creamier version. Cream cheese is another option. Use sour cream or crema for a lighter soup. Just add the cream at the end of the simmer.
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. You can use this exact recipe to make a delicious roasted red pepper sauce. To do so, simply thin the soup/sauce mixture if desired with a bit of extra stock or water. Swirl in crema or sour cream for a creamy sauce. Or Serve it as-is without the crema.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover roasted red pepper soup in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days.
You can also freeze it in freezer containers, where it will last up to 6 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my roasted red pepper soup recipe. Let me know if you make it and what kind of peppers did you use. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound red bell peppers about 3-4 bell peppers - or use 4-5 red poblano peppers
- ¼ cup vegetable oil peanut oil is great
- ¼ cup white flour
- 1 medium white onion chopped (or use yellow or sweet)
- 1-2 hot red peppers chopped - optional, to preference
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin or more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock or use chicken stock
- For Serving: Crispy croutons, red pepper flakes, sliced chilies, fresh chopped parsley, olive oil or chili oil drizzle
Instructions
- Roast the Red Peppers. Set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, skin sides up. Alternatively, roast them on a lightly oiled grill over medium heat.
- Broil the red peppers for 15 minutes, or until the skins char and blacken. They should puff up. (If using the grill, simply set the red peppers whole onto the hot grill. Turn them every few minutes, until the skins char and blacken.)
- Remove the peppers and set them into a bowl, cool slightly, then peel off the skins and discard them along with the seeds and stems. If the peppers don't peel easily, cover the bowl with plastic or a cloth to allow to steam, which will loosen the skins.
- Rough chop the red peppers and set them aside.
- Make the Roux. Add the peanut oil to a large pot and heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 8-10 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux browns to the color of peanut butter.
- Add the onion and hot peppers and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the chopped roasted red peppers, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and salt and pepper. Cook another minute, stirring.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.
- Adjust the consistency to your preference by adding more stock or water to thin.
- Use a stick blender to blend the soup into a thin consistency, or transfer it to a food processor or blender and process in batches.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with olive oil or chili oil, chili flakes, pepper slices and fresh chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/4/22 to include new video and information. It was originally published on 11/3/21.
Denise Kuhn says
Absolutely loved this recipe and one of my favourites now. Will definitely double the ingredients next time.
I was curious whether one could roast the peppers and store in freezer for a few days before making the soup?
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Thanks, Denise! Yes, you can roast the peppers ahead and either refrigerate or freeze them. Works great!
Amanda says
Cant wait to make this my mouth is watering just reading it.
I was wondering if I could I freeze this?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely, Amanda! I often make big batches and freeze it for later. Enjoy!!
Jérémie says
I'm not a soup guy except for fish soup. So, I wasn't very tempted by this recipe. But, I trust you so much now, so... let us go!
Roux + onion + pepper reminded me so much of a Cajun recipe, so I allowed myself to cajunize it more: I totally followed the recipe but I added celery with the onion and a bit of Cajun spices with cumin. For the peppers: red bell pepper (mainly), Red Jalapeno and Orange Suave Numex.
Servings: Cream cheese, croutons, chopped parsley.
So, no doubt, I was wrong and this soup is really awesome!! thank you very much, Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Jérémie! I love it! GREAT choice of peppers, sir! I love it. You are a fantastic cook.
Diane says
Using jarred red peppers. What size jar? thank you
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Diane, I would use 4 12-ounce jars, though you can use more. Be sure to drain them. Let me know how it goes for you.
Pam says
This recipe is has fabulous flavor! I added a spoonful of Greek yogurt to add some creaminess. Perfect ! The next time I make this I will double the recipe. That way I end up with more goodness after the whole process.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent!! Glad you enjoyed it, Pam! Cheers!
Ian says
Hello Mike, fantastically easy and delicious, have made it 3 times now, the last time I did it, I removed the seeds and stems first as it was quite a messy ordeal doing it with them in after roasting, I did not notice a difference in the final outcome, it was just easier so it is now one of my top soups for the fall/winter Thanks for this one
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Ian! Glad you enjoy it! We LOVE this recipe. So good. I appreciate it.
GJM says
I couldn't wait to find red Poblano peppers to try this. Since I am not a fan of Bell peppers, that left one option....make it with green Poblano peppers. While the color isn't as pretty, and I am sure the depth of flavor isn't as good, it was still pretty awesome. Other than the peppers, I followed the recipe exactly. I will definitely be looking for red Poblano peppers in the future, so that I can compare. Until then, I am going to make it with the green and enjoy each bite!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice. Thanks, GJM. This is definitely delicious with green poblanos, and I have made it that way a few times. I'm sure you'll LOVE the red version. So good! I appreciate it.