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!

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 ½ 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

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.

Serve Soup with a Simple Salad

More Easy Soup Recipes

Questions?
Leave a comment below!
Liked the recipe?
Leave a comment below!
Made this dish?
Leave a comment and star rating below!

Print

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!