Roasted Red Pepper Soup
You are just 30 minutes away from creamy, smoky, super simple roasted red pepper soup! Jarred roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda, heavy cream and dried herbs combine for the most flavorful vegetarian soup ever!
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You’ll Love This
- It’s quick and easy! We’re talking a handful of pantry staple ingredients and just 30 minutes from start to finish! If that doesn’t scream, WEEK NIGHT DINNER – I’m not sure what does! Make a batch of this on Sunday and you’ve got lunches taken care of for the week. While you’re at it, be sure to bake up a quick batch of my super easy herby croutons while the soup cooks!
- The flavors are incredible! Charred, roasted red peppers combined with smoky Gouda cheese AND heavy cream. Just get right out of town, okay?! If you like Panera’s roasted red pepper soup, let me tell you, this soup blows it out of the water! The smoked Gouda is the key ingredient that takes this soup to the next level.
- If you loved this red pepper soup recipe, be sure to check out my Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup, my Creamy Olive Garden Chickpea Gnocchi Soup, or my Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onion & Garlic – Yellow or white onion and fresh garlic are the flavor base that adds a ton of depth to this delicious soup. You could use 1/2 a teaspoon or so of garlic powder in place of the freshly minced garlic as well.
- Dried Herbs – Dried oregano, dried thyme, and rubbed sage are going to layer in an herbaceous flavor that pairs beautifully with the roasted peppers and heavy cream.
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers – Jarred roasted red peppers make this soup a breeze to throw together!
- Vegetable Broth – Feel free to use chicken broth in place of the veggie broth if you’re not worried about this soup being vegetarian. Vegetable stock or chicken stock would also work as well. Feel free to use a low sodium version if you like to control the salt levels yourself.
- Heavy Cream – You could use half and half in its place but the texture of soup will be looser. Heavy cream is going to give it a delicious, luxurious texture.
- Smoked Gouda – Smoked Gouda is the star of this recipe, next to the roasted red peppers. That smoky flavor and creamy cheese is a huge flavor enhancer and will have you wanting to make this soup over and over again!
- Apple Cider Vinegar – The best way to bring out the flavors of a creamy soup is to add a splash of vinegar! White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar will also work for this recipe.
Instructions
Sauté onion, and add garlic, dried herbs, and sugar along with a couple larges pinches of salt and pepper.
Cook for a minute or so.
Add roasted red peppers, and broth and simmer.
Blend soup in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Stir in shredded Gouda and heavy cream, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.
Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with homemade croutons and shredded Gouda.
Tips
- If you can’t find smoked Gouda, any smoked cheese will work. Try smoked mozzarella, smoked cheddar or even smoked provolone. The smoky flavor is really what’s going to add the flavor to this soup. It’s much less about the type of cheese and more about ensuring that the variety of cheese you pick is smoked.
- You can use an immersion blender or a high speed blender for this soup. If using a blender, be very careful when transferring the hot soup to the blender! Also, make sure that the when you place the lid on the blender, you open the pour spout to allow the heat to escape from the blender and gently place a clean kitchen towel over the opening. Hot liquid whizzing around an enclosed space is a recipe for disaster! Without the opening in the lid for the steam to escape, the pressure of the steam from the soup will force the lid to fly off – resulting in hot soup covering your kitchen. I’m telling this story from personal experience in case you can’t tell…
- Don’t skip the homemade croutons! They are so easy and a great way to use up that stale loaf of sourdough you’ve got lying around! There is no better accompaniment to a big bowl of warm, creamy soup than crispy, herby croutons!
- Feel free to roast your own red peppers if you prefer! Check out this easy recipe for roasting peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven. Or try this recipe where you’ll broil the peppers.
FAQ
Are roasted red peppers bad for you?
Roasted red peppers are a delicious, flavorful way to get a ton of nutrients! They are an easy way to enjoy all the health benefits of fresh vegetables with an added smoky flavor and tender texture. They are also low in calories.
Can you eat roasted red peppers from the jar?
You sure can! Roasted red peppers are fully cooked and ready to eat straight from the jar. In this super simple red pepper soup, jarred roasted red peppers are an easy short cut to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make Ahead: This easy roasted red pepper soup is the perfect make ahead meal! The flavors just get better with time!
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Be sure to season to taste after reheating.
More Easy Soup Recipes
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Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda
You are just 30 minutes away from creamy, smoky, super simple roasted red pepper soup! Jarred roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda, heavy cream and dried herbs combine for the most flavorful vegetarian soup ever!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish – Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 2 (12 oz.) jars roasted red peppers, drained
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz. smoked Gouda, shredded
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish:
- easy homemade croutons
- shredded Gouda cheese
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion along with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic, sugar, oregano, thyme, sage and a large pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
- Add roasted red peppers and veggie broth to the pot. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.
- Turn heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer soup to a high speed blender (or use an immersion blender). Blend for 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer back to pot and turn heat to low.
- Stir in heavy cream and most of the shredded Gouda cheese, reserving just a bit of the Gouda for garnish if desired. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.
- Stir in apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with croutons, heavy cream, chopped pistachios and fresh parsley.
Notes
- If you can’t find smoked Gouda, any smoked cheese will work. Try smoked mozzarella, smoked cheddar or even smoked provolone. The smoky flavor is really what’s going to add the flavor to this soup. It’s much less about the type of cheese and more about ensuring that the variety of cheese you pick is smoked.
- You can use an immersion blender or a high speed blender for this soup. If using a blender, be very careful when transferring the hot soup to the blender! Also, make sure that the when you place the lid on the blender, you open the pour spout to allow the heat to escape from the blender and gently place a clean kitchen towel over the opening. Hot liquid whizzing around an enclosed space is a recipe for disaster! Without the opening in the lid for the steam to escape, the pressure of the steam from the soup will force the lid to fly off – resulting in hot soup covering your kitchen. I’m telling this story from personal experience in case you can’t tell…
- Don’t skip the homemade croutons! They are so easy and a great way to use up that stale loaf of sourdough you’ve got lying around! There is no better accompaniment to a big bowl of warm, creamy soup than crispy, herby croutons!
- Feel free to roast your own red peppers if you prefer! Check out this easy recipe for roasting peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven. Or try this recipe where you’ll broil the peppers.
This post was originally published in December 2019. It was updated in November 2021 to include detailed instructions, tips, and tricks for making the very best roasted red pepper soup every single time!
Excited to try this recipe! I know this sounds weird, but am I able to let the soup cool before blending and then warm it back up again to add the cheese and heavy cream? I have a little one so sometimes I have to make recipes in split steps (lol!)
I think that would work just fine! Sometimes I find that soups blend more easily when they are warm, but if you’ve got a decent high speed blender I wouldn’t for see there being an issue with blending it after it’s cooled. Great question, Ashley!
I was able to get about 20 lbs of huge, meaty red peppers at a terrific price about a month ago. I roasted them on the grill and then carefully cleaned and froze them in heavy containers. My goal was to make soup or pasta sauce out of them. My question is: Can I make the soup or sauce without the cream and cheese and then freeze to be finished off later? I’d make the sauce by following the soup recipe without the broth. Red peppers are one of my favorite veggies, so this was a gonzo find for me.
Yes! I think that would work perfectly to mix in the cream and cheese in after it’s been frozen, thawed, and reheated. Great idea, StuKin!
Can’t wait to try your recipe. It looks delicious! I have two question before I get started. If I use fresh peppers and roast them, how many do I use in place of the jarred roasted peppers?
Second question. Is there a big difference in flavor between the jarred peppers or fresh roasted?
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Great question, Pam! Although I can’t say for sure, I would recommend maybe 4-6 red peppers depending on how large they are. I do find that the flavor of freshly roasted peppers does differ from those that come in the jar. Honestly, I prefer the flavor of freshly roasted peppers but I appreciate the convenience of jarred red peppers. Whichever you choose to use, the soup will be delicious! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Wow! Exactly what I was looking for! I upped the apple cider vinegar to 4 tsp, as my soup really needed the additional brightness. I also upped the temp to an actual simmer after adding the cream in order to get all the cheese to fully melt. (I even used my immersion blender again to get it silky smooth). Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Love the use of an immersion blender for this soup! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Rebecca! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This soup is really good – I changed it up a bit with the following:
* Added 1/2 again as much roasted bell peppers
* Didn’t use the apple cider vinegar – I have tried vinegar in recipes before and am not a huge fan of it.
* Added a couple dashes of red pepper flakes to give it some heat.
* Added 16 oz of silken tofu to give it more protein – the silken version blends up really nicely in soup that is already being blended.
* Instead of heavy cream, I used a can of lite coconut milk (which did NOT make it taste coconutty – it just gave it a creaminess. The light coconut milk lessened the calories that are already in this soup due to the 8 ounces of cheese.
Give it a try!
I must have done something wrong when doubling the recipe. The herbs are overwhelming, we can barely taste the red peppers. I still have 2 days before company so I will add mor jarred peppers tomorrow and see what happens. Any tips or advice is appreciated.
Did you double all of the ingredients, including the smoked Gouda as well? Smoked Gouda has quite a powerful flavor so I’m surprised that you’d be tasting the dried herbs over that strong smoky flavor! I’d recommend adding more cream, another splash of vinegar and perhaps a bit more smoked Gouda if you have some on hand. Hope that helps!
I was super excited to make this since it’s super cold here at lake of the Ozarks and this is one of my favorite soups.
I followed the recipe to the T but chose half an half instead of heavy cream. All I could taste was the half and half but this is probably because I don’t drink cow’s milk. I love everything else from the chow besides the milk.
I’m investing in immersion blender and a dutch oven and I’m going to retry this recipe again on my day off.
I gave you a five-star rating because of the comments above and I believe that is a great recipe. Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes with us.
C~
Can this soup be prepared in advance for a dinner party ? I am planning a nice dinner party with several courses and want to prepare as much as possible ahead of time. Is freezing it advised or would that change the texture?
I have not frozen it before, but I don’t foresee that being a problem at all! I would recommend thawing it overnight in the fridge before reheating it and serving it. Also, be sure to season with salt and pepper after reheating. It will likely need a bit more salt than you expect after being frozen.
Why can’t you use a food processor if you don’t have an immersion blender, which I agree would be the best tool for blending this soup?
I don’t think I ever mentioned that you CAN’T use a food processor so I’m not sure what you’re referring to? You can use whatever you’d like, although, typically a food processor isn’t used to blend hot soup. A blender or an immersion blender are the best tools for BLENDING. You can use whatever you’d like though, Martha. Hope that helps 🙂
I’m trying to use up sweet red peppers from my garden. Would you recommend dry roasting or with a little olive oil? Also, if i don’t have smoked Gouda, could i sub in provolone and smoked paprika?
Yes and yes! Garden fresh peppers from the garden would be delicious! You could either roast them over a gas stove flame or in the oven under the broiler. I don’t think the olive oil is totally necessary but I don’t think it’d hurt either! Provolone and smoked paprika would be delicious in place of the Gouda – great idea!
Delicious & so were the homemade croutons! Thanks for the great recipe! ?
Those homemade croutons are just the perfect crunch for this creamy soup! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Holly! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂