This roasted red pepper soup is easy to prepare and very economical as it only requires a handful of ingredients. This soup is vegan and can easily be made oil free if you prefer. It’s a simple and delicious alternative to tomato soup!
Don’t worry, this week’s recipe is sure to be less controversial than last week’s banana peel vegan pulled pork sandwich! What I have for you today is a simple and flavourful soup made with fresh roasted red peppers, golden brown onions and garlic, and vegetable stock.
That’s right, I used fresh peppers for this roasted red pepper soup which I roasted myself in the oven. I have also tried it with jarred red peppers but I don’t particularly care for the vinegar-y flavour that they have (even after rinsing them).
Luckily, roasting red peppers in the oven is not nearly as time-consuming as you might think. Mine are usually done in about 10 minutes.
To roast red peppers quickly, cut them in half and remove the stem and seeds. Place them skin side up on a baking pan and flatten them down with your hand as much as you can.
Pop them under the oven broiler, no need to preheat, and let them roast until the skin is blackened. No need to open the oven and flip them. Then transfer them to a sealed container to steam and cool down a bit. Peel that blackened skin off and blend them up with the other soup ingredients.
To keep costs down I wanted to make this soup as simple as possible. The first variation of this recipe is to use the red peppers, an onion, two cloves of garlic, a cup of vegetable stock and salt. As simple as this it’s really delicious.
If you want to jazz it up a bit you can add a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of vegan cream for a touch more creaminess.
I like the Oatly brand of vegan cream (no, they’re not paying me to say that) but you can use your favourite store-bought or homemade vegan cashew cream if you prefer (you could probably use coconut milk as well but I don’t know how it would affect the flavour).
With these measurements you will be able to make two big bowls of roasted red pepper soup for a main dish or four bowls as an appetizer or side dish.
This soup is delicious served with crusty bread or a hearty salad like this bean and lentil salad recipe!
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 30 oz (850 grams) red bell peppers - $1.69
- 1 tablespoon oil or water as necessary - $0.10
- ¾ medium onion diced - $0.17
- 2 cloves of garlic finely diced - $0.16
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock - $0.46
- ¾ teaspoon salt - $0.01
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional) - $0.08
- ¼ cup vegan cream such as Oatly (optional) - $0.50
- Your choice of garnishes - croutons, your favourite fresh herb, a drizzle of vegan cream (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the peppers in half and remove the stem and seeds. Place them skin side up on a baking pan and press them down with your hand so that they are more or less flat against the pan.
- Place the pan under your oven boiler (no need to preheat) and broil for 10 – 15 minutes or until the skins are black and the peppers are soft. When they’re ready, remove to a large container and put on the lid. Leave them to steam and cool for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil (or water if you are oil free) in a pot over medium-low heat and add the onion. Gently fry until very soft and beginning to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and continue frying until soft and fragrant and the onions are golden brown. You can take your time with this as you’re waiting for the peppers and it’s important that the onions are super soft in order to blend well.
- When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the blackened skin. Once the onions are golden brown, add the stock to the pot to heat up.
- Transfer the peeled red peppers to a blender along with any juice that they released into the container while steaming and the pan. Blend until broken down. Carefully add the contents of the pot, the salt and continue blending, with the lid slightly ajar to release the steam, until the soup is completely smooth.
- If you would like, you can add a bit of lemon juice and vegan cream to the blender. Serve immediately while still hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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S says
I'm not a vegan, but recently I realised how deficient I am on vital nutrients. Though not a red meat eater, my diet is predominantly chicken and fish and that has taken a toll on my health. So I will try and incorporate these recipes as a part of my lifestyle hopefully for most days of the week.
Thank you!
Tina says
Why is there so much potassium in this soup? I need to eat item with low potassium and this seems excessively high.