Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
This recipe for roasted red pepper and tomato soup celebrates the end of summer heat. Make a giant batch to freeze for cooler weather!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
This roasted red pepper and tomato soup is more than just a recipe—it’s a celebration of the end of the summer heat. It’s the option in between gazpacho and creamy tomato soup. As the temperature finally calms down, I implore you to make this soup with the last ripe bell peppers and tomatoes.
This lovely, light soup is slightly spicy. It tastes more strongly of roasted red peppers than tomatoes, and the light smokiness brings Spanish cuisine to mind. It’s vegan as written, though you certainly add cream for a creamier soup. Perhaps the best thing about this soup is that it freezes well for later.
I originally shared this recipe over ten years ago on a rainy day with my dog, Cookie, by my side. It’s still one of my favorites, and revisiting it brings those moments back to life. I really miss my pup.
We’re growing both peppers and tomatoes in our backyard garden this year, though not enough to make a proper batch of this soup. Grace’s favorite thing to do is, “Pick some ’matoes,” and she checks for more cherry tomatoes at least twice a day. She pops them straight into her mouth and can’t get enough.
Now that I’ve bottled up my favorite summer flavors, I’ll soon be ready for creamy fall bisques and hearty vegetarian chili. What are you making next?
How to Make Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
You’ll find the full recipe below. To summarize, you’ll first roast all of the produce on two baking sheets—tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Then, you’ll bring vegetable broth to a boil, add all of the roasted veggies, and simmer for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Lastly, blend the soup with an immersion blender or stand blender.
Recipe Variations
This red pepper and tomato soup is wonderfully flavorful and light as written. Here are a couple of variations that you might enjoy as well.
Make it creamy: For a more creamy texture and mellow flavor, blend some heavy cream or half and half into the soup (see the recipe notes for suggested amounts). Or, you can serve individual bowls with a drizzle of cream, or a dollop of sour cream or vegan sour cream.
Add fresh basil: For even more garden-fresh flavor, add anywhere between 5 to 15 fresh basil leaves to the blender at the end. Start with 5, blend, and add more if desired.
Watch How to Make Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
How to Freeze Soup for Later
This soup yields a large batch and freezes well. I recommend freezing soup in glass canning jars. Fill them no further than the freezer line (they need at least one inch of room at the top for expansion). Lightly screw the lids on, freeze fully, and then finish screwing the lids on (otherwise, pressure will build during the freezing process).
To defrost, transfer the jar to the refrigerator overnight. I love to use small, half-pint canning jars for freezing single servings of soup, which defrost more quickly than larger containers.
What to Serve with Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
I’ll vouch that this soup goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches and simple quesadillas. For a dairy-free option, try my hummus quesadillas. I also love it with avocado toast and basically any green salad.
More Warming Soups to Make
Here are just a few more of my favorite tomato-based soups and stews on Cookie and Kate. These are all designed for canned tomatoes rather than fresh.
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans)
- Seriously Good Vegetable Soup
- Tomato Soup (Lightened Up!)
- Tortilla Soup
View more soup and stew recipes here. As always, please let me know how your recipe turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Roasted red pepper and tomato soup to celebrate the end of summer heat. Make a giant batch to freeze for cooler weather! Recipe yields a lot of soup (about 12 cups), and leftovers freeze well.
Ingredients
- 8 to 9 medium tomatoes (about 5 pounds), cored and quartered
- 3 red bell peppers (about 1 pound), seeded and quartered
- 2 small yellow onions, cut into wedges about ¾″ wide on the outer edges
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (omit if sensitive to spice)
- Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper third and middle of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the tomatoes on one of the prepared baking sheets. Place the bell peppers and onions on the other baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over each baking sheet.
- Gently toss the tomatoes until lightly coated in oil, then position the tomatoes so the skin sides are facing down. Set aside.
- Gently toss the onions and red peppers until they are lightly coated in oil (try to keep the onion wedges intact as best you can). Position the red peppers with the skin sides facing down. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on the sheet, too.
- Place the tomatoes on the top rack of the oven and the peppers and onion on the middle rack. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender throughout and turning nicely golden on the edges.
- When the vegetables are done, bring the vegetable broth to boil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Peel your garlic and toss it in. Add the roasted vegetables, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, if using, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to maintain a steady simmer.
- Purée the soup using an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender in batches, several cups at a time. Season to taste with salt (I added another ½ teaspoon) and pepper. This soup keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for 4 days in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Adapted from Heidi Swanson’s recipe for roasted tomato and red bell pepper soup in Super Natural Cooking and Sara of Sprouted Kitchen’s recipe for roasted tomato soup.
Make it creamy option: Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream or ¼ cup half and half to the soup for a more creamy texture and mellow flavor (add more to taste). Or, serve bowls with a dollop of sour cream or vegan sour cream.
Basil variation: Add anywhere between 5 to 15 fresh basil leaves to the blender (start with less, taste, and add more as desired).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I have a recipe for roasted tomato pepper soup…. it is on my list of favorites. Beautiful pictures, makes me want to make another batch of it today!
Perfect timing! The farmers markets here in Australia and teaming with tomatoes and I’ve got house guests coming to stay for a week – this is exactly the kind of thing I like to have on hand in case we decide to ‘eat in’ or I have to put together an impromptu lunch – and everyone will love it!
– Catherine @ The Spring
(in Brisbane)
Hallelujah for cooler temps! This soup looks so yummy. I need to jar it up like you so that I quit eating lazy girl’s cereal.
This looks wonderful! I’m so excited for soup season.
Me too! Now that I’m working from home, I intend to have a big pot of soup simmering on the stove all winter long! It’ll help keep my apartment warm. :)
Looks delicious and easy to make. I have yet to use my hand blender for making soup, but I might give it a try with this one!
This soup made me want a hand blender! I’m adding one to my Christmas list for sure. Transferring the soup to a blender was a bit of a chore.
Mmm, I love a good roasted tomato and red bell pepper soup. I love that you planned ahead and froze the extra! I’ll have to try that too!
Fun! I love the pictures of the jars of soup next to the rainy window. Way to set the mood!
This is EXACTLY what I want to eat right now.
Kate this looks delicious! Beautiful pictures and recipe. I WILL be making this this fall and winter. Bravo!
Sounds like a wonderful day, just the kind of peaceful day that rejuvenates and restores.
Thank you, Sylvie. You just summed up exactly what I was trying to convey. :)
I just made this soup for a weekend getaway with some friends. It’s the perfect soup for fall weather! I added extra cayenne pepper and smoked paprika to give it a bit more of a kick. I love how it tastes and hope my friends will enjoy it too!
Great to hear, Liz! I appreciate your review.
Love the idea of freezing the soup in individual portions in the mason jars. Great gift idea for the holidays or a housewarming, too! Looks wonderful!
Thanks, Shelley! I’m really looking forward to enjoying homemade soup this winter.
This looks way too good/comforting to pass up! Time to conquer my fear of blending hot liquids. (I blame the not-so-subtle warnings on Food Network.)
ha! I let my soup cool down a bit before I started blending it. It’s not too bad, but I learned the hard way not to put my hand over the top of the lid. Steam escapes from that removable part (what’s that for, anyway?).
I think it’s for when you’re blending hot liquids actually. Remove it and place a folded up paper towel or dish cloth over it and keep your hand on it when blending. It’s to allow the steam to escape.
Your photos are making me hungry! How do you manage to turn every recipe into a work of art with the click of a camera? Can’t wait to try this soup.
Magic! 100% kidding. Lots and lots of practice. Thank you for the sweet comment. :)
love all those jars lined up for the future…
Love the photos! Perfect rainy day food. Oh, and there aren’t any boys in my town either.
Ug! Where are the good ones?
This sounds fantastic!
looks so delicious! I have made mine with red peppers added in and it certainly adds a bit more sweetness. Love you photos!
mmm, I have to make this soup before it’s too late! Love it! Love the pictures of the little jars on the window, so cute! :)
Looks delicious! Red peppers and Tomato is a perfect match!!
I’ve been loving Feist’s new album – it’s a great pairing for a soup like this! The rain looks so pretty..
soups are so nourishing and comforting. love the photo of your portions lined up on the window..
So glad soup season has finally arrived for you! I made Sprouted Kitchen’s recipe last month & was delicious. Love seeing your variation!
Just stumbled across your blog looking for a chili recipe – I’ll try yours with sweet potato and let you know how it goes. ;) Your blog has a beautiful aesthetic – really lovely. I love that it’s not cluttered with sidebar stuff! ;) Thank you for all the great recipes! I Can’t wait to keep reading!
Thank you, Emily! I’m so glad you found my blog. I just redesigned my blog and cleaned it up, thank you for the great feedback!
I made a soup with roasted tomatoes when it was still quite warm outside. It tasted great but was somewhat off. It was just not right to eat soup in summer. Thanks for reminding me to try again, sounds like a great way to use the red peppers I got in my CSA box this week.
You made my autumn beautiful :) Thank you.
Yummers!
I have been searching for a tomato soup recipe. Must try this one. Looks so good!!!
: ))
Jen
so delicious! I wasnt sure i would like it when i was making it but i thought the pepper flavor made it much more interesting than a regular tomato soup. You have turnes my friends and
I onto many new blogs like sprouted kitchen and green kitchen stories but yours is always my favorite!!
Really happy to hear that, Grace. :)
I made this soup last night and it turned out fantastically! Thank you for the great recipe, I can’t wait to try some other ones from your blog :)
I came across your blog a few months back and I have to say your blog is amazing! I made this soup last night and my husband gobbled it all up and wanted more! I find your recipes very inspiring and whenever I need a pick me up I find myself reading your blog! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Simran, thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad you and your husband are enjoying my recipes! Please let me know how future recipes turn out for you. Best wishes.
Lovely easy recipe- I added a touch of fresh rosemary when roasting.
Sadly my oven is slightly too powerful and ended up burning the veggies a bit. Still tasted good! Thank you!
Any suggestions for making this with canned/boxed tomatoes? I know it won’t have exactly the same flavor, but when tomatoes aren’t in season, I always feel that buying greenhouse ones aren’t worth it.
Hey Anna, that is a great question. I’m not exactly sure how to substitute canned tomatoes, but I do recall a Bon Appetit recipe that suggests roasting canned tomatoes for better flavor: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bucatini-with-butter-roasted-tomato-sauce. Maybe you could roast some canned tomatoes in a 13×9-inch baking dish while you roast the peppers? Please let me know if you figure it out!
I made the soup by roasting a box of tomatoes (without all the butter and other added ingredients in the Bon Appetit recipe), but didn’t really notice that much of a flavor boost from the process. I think using a 28oz box without the roasting would result in a pretty good alternative, without all the extra work. Overall, a really good simple soup! :) Smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices that I use in almost all my tomato dishes and soups. Thanks for giving me something to make besides shakshuka with the bags of clearance red bell peppers at my grocery store.
Anna, I’m sorry that extra step didn’t pay off! Thanks for letting me know. Now I know. :) If you have more peppers to use up, I like this red pepper and walnut pesto: https://sooka.info/2012/red-pepper-pesto-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
No worries! I’m just glad to have found a simpler way to make it. It’s always good to have a few recipes on hand that only take a short time.
Writing from Canada! Do you use Roma tomatoes for this soup?
What a great recipe! I just had a bowl of store bought organic roasted red pepper and tomato soup but want to start making my own. Can’t wait!
Just a heads up: I linked this post on my blog and prominently cited the post and blog :-)
http://www.myfascinationstreet.com/2014/08/organic-roasted-red-pepper-tomato-soup.html
Thanks, Diane, for featuring my soup! So glad you enjoy it!
This is a staple in my house (and often requested by the hubby)!! I’ve found that when I use basil in my day to day cooking, I have been saving the stems and “left overs” in the freezer. When I want a tomato basil soup I use this recipe but cut the smoked paprika in half and add the basil in right before blending it. Very very yummy! I’ve also added some chopped tuscan kale to it to make it even more “hearty” and add some great nutrients. This soup is phenomenal!!
Such a great way to save basil! Thanks for sharing, Amber! I hate letting my basil go to waste.
Kate: Another fabulous recipe. I just wish I had discovered it earlier in the summer because I would have made batches and batches of it to stock up my freezer! And…Amber…I also added fresh basil. Love it! And I also love the idea of adding chopped kale to the soup.
Thank you, Nina! So glad you’re enjoying this soup.
My husband and I love this soup. I prefer a creamier tomato based soup so I use 4 cups vegetable broth and a can of Trader Joes light Coconut milk (added just before blending). We make it often and tell everyone about it.
Thank you, Maureen! Your coconut milk version sounds terrific. Thank you for sharing my recipe with your friends!
What type of tomatoes did you use for the soup or which type of tomatoes would you recommend for the recipe??
Hi Rhenelyn, I used pretty standard, round, garden-variety tomatoes for this soup.
Hey Kate. I made the soup… My Guinea Pig (my husband) loved it… I love to try new recipes and I look for the easy and healthy ones… and my husband is my judge!! I had to use beef broth cause I didn’t have any vegetable broth on hand and I put a dollop of Parmesan cheese when I served the soup… and it was delicious, the next day was better mmmmmm. Today I’m gonna use vegetable broth and a little of mozzarella. Don’t give this soup to your Cookie because onions are poison for dogs… like chocolate. Thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks, Monica! I’m so glad you two enjoyed it. I am very careful to keep onions away from Cookie! It’s not easy sometimes, since she gobbles up anything that falls to the floor. :-/
Delicious soup recipe, Kate! I didn’t have any cayene pepper, so I used crushed red pepper flakes instead. I will definitely be using this recipe often!
Hooray! Thanks, Victoria!
I have never commented on a recipe befor, and there are lots of good recipes out there… BUT let it be known everywhere– this soup is to DIE for. I was nervous about the smoked paprika, but it was truly wonderful. Will commit this recipe to memory for sure!
Thank you, Jill! So glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing recipe. The combination of favors is fantastic. YUMMY! Can’t wait to make it again!
Sorry for double posting….. Technical error
Can’t wait to make this!
Can I just use water instead of broth? Broths are not sold here in Austria. Or do you have a better suggestion?
Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, yes, water will be fine! You will probably need to add some extra salt.
Awesome recipe! I paired it with my bacon avocado and mozzarella grilled cheese and omg the coupling was so nice. I’ve been addicted to pureed soups lately and this is definitely one of my new favorites.
Thank you, Nate! Happy to hear it. Your grilled cheese sounds epic!
We had an unbelievable crop of tomatoes this year and I am making the tomato red pepper soup for a second time this fall with the last of the tomatoes and peppers from my garden. This has become my go-to tomatoes soup recipe this year. The addition of peppers gives it a rich flavor that goes well with anything, but especially grilled cheese sandwiches.
Thank you, Ned! I’m glad to hear you’ve been enjoying this one. I’m jealous of those tomatoes!
When do you add the paprika and the cayenne pepper?
I thought this was good, but not great. And for the price of tomatoes, maybe not worth it? Or less onion and garlic. Just a personal preference thing I’m sure! First one I haven’t LOVED from this site!
At what point to you add the spices (paprika and cayenne)? After you blended?
Hi Kate, I know this is a recipe from 2011, but I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of tomatoes you used, or which kind you recommend? Thanks!
Hey Trina, I think I used pretty standard, ripe red tomatoes. Medium sized. Maybe the kind that come with stems attached. Hope that helps!