Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Silky, naturally sweet soup made from roasted red peppers, onions, and garlic, finished with cream. Ready in under 40 minutes with simple stovetop techniques.
- Total time
- 38 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 4 whole (about 2 lb) Red bell peppers
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- 4 whole Garlic cloves
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 8 leaves Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 425°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Place the 4 red bell peppers on a cutting board and cut them in half lengthwise from the tip to the root end, then cut out and discard the white core and all the seeds.
- 3
Arrange the pepper halves skin-side up in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between them so they can roast evenly.
- 4
Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast until the pepper skins are blackened and blistered, about 25 minutes—the edges should look nearly charred.
- 5
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes so they are cool enough to touch safely.
- 6
Peel the blackened skin off each pepper half using your fingers or a knife—the skin should come away easily once cooled—and discard it.
- 7
Cut the peeled red peppers into 2-inch-wide pieces and place them in a medium bowl.
- 8
Cut the yellow onion in half lengthwise from root to tip, then place cut-side down and slice crosswise into 0.5-inch-thick half-moons.
- 9
Mince the 4 garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 10
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot and set it over medium heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pot, about 90 seconds.
- 11
Add the sliced onion to the hot oil and stir once every 30 seconds until the edges turn soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- 12
Pour in the minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the mixture smells strongly fragrant and golden—do not let the garlic brown.
- 13
Add the roasted red pepper pieces and 4 cups of vegetable broth to the pot and stir to combine.
- 14
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil—you will see large bubbles breaking the surface rapidly—then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 15
Remove the pot from the heat and let the soup cool for 2 minutes so it is safe to blend.
- 16
Working in batches, carefully pour about half the soup into a blender, filling it only halfway, then blend on medium speed until completely smooth and no pepper chunks remain, about 45 seconds.
- 17
Pour the blended soup from the blender into a clean pot, then repeat with the remaining soup in the blender.
- 18
Set the pot with all blended soup over medium heat and warm it until it steams and small bubbles form around the edges, about 3 minutes—stir once every 30 seconds.
- 19
Pour the 0.5 cup of heavy cream into the pot and stir constantly for 30 seconds until it is completely incorporated and the color is uniform throughout.
- 20
Taste the soup with a clean spoon and stir in salt and pepper in small pinches until it tastes balanced to you—start with 0.5 teaspoon salt.
- 21
Tear the 8 fresh basil leaves by hand into small pieces about the size of a postage stamp.
- 22
Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter the torn basil on top of each bowl immediately before serving.
Tools you’ll need
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Medium bowl
- Large pot (5-quart)
- Wooden spoon
- Blender
- Ladle
- Serving bowls
- Oven
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