Roasted Red Pepper Soup Recipe: Smoky, Silky and Easy

Roasted red pepper soup is the cozy dinner that tastes like it simmered all afternoon but comes together in under an hour: sweet red peppers roasted until charred at the edges, blended with tomatoes, garlic and onion into a silky, smoky soup, then finished with a swirl of cream and fresh basil. It is naturally gluten-free, endlessly adaptable, and pairs beautifully with crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

The secret is a properly hot oven and a good blender. Roasting concentrates the peppers' sweetness and adds a gentle smokiness that no amount of seasoning can fake, while blending while hot (in batches, if needed) gives the soup its velvety body without a drop of flour.

Silky, smoky and glowing orange-red — the soup that tastes like it simmered all day.

Recipe Info

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes
• Total time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Calories: ~320 kcal per serving

Peppers, tomatoes and pantry staples — nothing fancy, everything flavourful.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg / 2.6 lb red bell peppers (about 6 large), halved and seeded
• 400 g / 14 oz ripe tomatoes, halved
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 750 ml / 3 cups vegetable stock
• 120 ml / 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra to swirl
• 1 tsp / 5 g fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves, plus more to serve
• Crusty bread, to serve

Spoon-coatingly smooth — roast, blend and dinner is done.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. A hot oven chars the pepper edges and builds the soup's smoky flavour.
2. Roast the vegetables: Toss the peppers, tomatoes, onion and unpeeled garlic with the olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, then spread them cut-side down on the tray. Roast for 25–30 minutes until the peppers are soft and blackened in spots.
3. Peel the garlic: Let the tray cool for 5 minutes, then squeeze the soft garlic from its skins. Discard any badly burnt pepper skin, but keep the lightly charred bits — they carry the smokiness.
4. Simmer briefly: Tip everything from the tray, including the juices, into a large pot with the vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes so the flavours meld.
5. Blend until silky: Add the basil and blend the soup until completely smooth, working in batches if your blender is small and never filling it more than half full with hot soup. Return it to the pot.
6. Finish with cream: Stir in the cream, taste, and adjust the salt and pepper. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of stock until it coats a spoon.
7. Serve: Ladle into warm bowls, swirl with extra cream, drizzle with olive oil, scatter with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Tips & Variations

• Char is flavour. Do not pull the peppers early — blackened edges are the smoky backbone of this soup, so let them colour well before they leave the oven.
• Keep the tray juices. The caramelized juices on the parchment are concentrated flavour; scrape every drop into the pot before blending.
• Blend hot, safely. Hot soup expands in a blender, so fill it halfway, hold the lid down with a towel, and start on low. An immersion blender in the pot works too.
• Make it vegan. Swap the cream for coconut cream or a swirl of cashew cream — both keep the soup silky and add their own richness.
• Add a little heat. A pinch of chili flakes or one roasted chili blended in with the peppers gives a gentle warmth without overpowering the sweetness.
• Roast ahead. The vegetables can be roasted a day ahead and chilled; the finished soup then takes just 15 minutes from pot to bowl.
• Freeze it well. Freeze without the cream for up to 3 months, then stir the cream in after reheating — the texture stays perfectly smooth.

Nutrition Note

Per serving, this roasted red pepper soup provides roughly 320 kcal, 6 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates and 22 g fat. Red peppers are rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, and roasting them concentrates their natural sweetness without added sugar. The cream adds satisfying richness, but swapping it for coconut cream or skipping the swirl keeps the soup lighter, and serving it with whole-grain bread adds fibre that rounds out the meal.

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FAQ

Can I use jarred roasted red peppers?

Yes — use about 700 g drained jarred peppers and skip the roasting step, but add the smoked paprika to keep the smoky note. Simmer everything for 10 minutes before blending.

Do I need to peel the peppers?

No. Blending the roasted peppers skin and all gives a smooth soup once blended well; only discard pieces that are badly burnt and bitter.

How do I make it thicker?

Simmer the blended soup uncovered for 5–10 minutes to reduce, or blend in a small peeled potato roasted with the peppers for extra body.

How long does it keep?

Up to 4 days in the fridge in a sealed container, or up to 3 months frozen without the cream. Reheat gently and stir the cream in at the end.

Is this soup gluten-free?

Yes — the soup itself is naturally gluten-free. Just serve it with gluten-free bread if you need the whole meal to be gluten-free.

Make this roasted red pepper soup the next time you want something warm, silky and quietly impressive with very little effort — sweet peppers, a hot oven and a good blender do most of the work. If you try it, tell us in the comments whether you kept it classic or gave it a chili kick.