This Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Soup is loaded with so much flavour and couldn’t be easier to make!
If there’s one soup that’s going to sooth your soul, it’s this. Plus it’s the ultimate grilled cheese dunker – which is perfect seeing as you’ve landed on a sandwich blog 😛 Follow me…
Roasted Red Peppers
Roasting the peppers is a crucial step in making this soup so delicious. By roasting the red peppers you lightly char them, which adds an extra smoky layer of flavour. It also deepens the flavour of the peppers themselves.
Can I use Pre Roasted Peppers?
Jarred roasted red peppers are stored in a vinegary brine, which throws the flavour off in the soup. When you roast the peppers yourself you also get the opportunity to throw in some extra goodies too. Here I’m adding cumin and smoked paprika. In short – use fresh!
Can I use different coloured peppers?
Different coloured peppers actually have different flavours, so for this recipe you’ll want to stick with red. Also to keep that gorgeous vibrant red colour!
Process shots: add peppers, oil and seasoning to baking tray (photo 2), combine (photo 2), roast until lightly charred (photo 3).
Making Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Once you’ve roasted the peppers it’s all pretty straight forward from there!
The secret ingredient
To really take this soup to new heights, I love adding chorizo. Chorizo not only adds to those gorgeous smoky tones in the soup, not only does it add spice, but it also makes the perfect garnish. Here we’re going to be frying the chorizo, using the leftover oil to start the soup and sprinkling the crispy chorizo over the soup.
Simmering the soup
Although you’ve cooked the peppers, it’s important to simmer them along with the other ingredients before blitzing. This will give time to completely soften the peppers and marry all the flavours together.
Tomato Paste
This is a really important ingredient. Not only does it deepen the flavour of the soup, but tomato also pairs beautifully with red peppers. I have tried this recipe without, and it does slightly lack in depth of flavour, so definitely don’t skip!
Process shots: add chorizo (photo 1), fry then remove (photo 2), fry onion (photo 3) fry garlic and chilli flakes (photo 4), fry tomato paste and add peppers (photo 5), pour in stock (photo 6), simmer (photo 7), blitz (photo 8).
Serving Roasted Red Pepper Soup
To garnish, I love to add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the crispy chorizo and an extra pinch of chilli flakes! If you want to make this ahead of time you totally can, in fact it’ll actually give time for the flavours to mingle as it rests in the fridge.
What can I serve with this soup?
Obviously I recommend a Grilled Cheese. Here are some of my favourites to serve with this soup:
- Inside Out Grilled Cheese
- Boursin Grilled Cheese
- Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
- Grilled Cheese Roll Ups
- Cream Cheese Grilled Cheese
Process shots: pour soup into bowl (photo 1), drizzle with oil (photo 2), add chorizo (photo 3), add chilli flakes (photo 4).
Roasted Red Pepper Soup FAQ
How spicy is this soup?
The chorizo adds a very mild amount of spice. The chilli flakes are where most of the heat comes from. I usually go for 1/2 tsp plus garnish, which gives moderate spice, but you can very easily adjust to suit your taste buds!
How long will this last in the fridge?
Tightly covered in the fridge the will last 3 days (longer at your discretion).
Can I freeze this soup?
Yep! Just thaw in the fridge after and reheat.
For another delicious soup that pairs with sandwiches check out my Roasted Tomato Soup!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this spicy roasted red pepper soup shall we?
How to make Roasted Red Pepper Soup (Full Recipe & Video)
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot & Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Baking Tray
- Hand Blender
- Jug (for stock)
- Ladle (for serving)
- Slotted Spoon (for removing chorizo)
Ingredients
- 6-7 Red Peppers, roughly diced (around 2.6lb/1.2kg)
- 3 cups / 750ml Chicken Stock
- 3.5-5oz / 100-150g Chorizo, finely diced/crumbled
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
- 1 large Onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp EACH: Smoked Paprika, Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes, or to spice preference
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, plus more to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to serve
Instructions
- Add the diced peppers to a large baking tray and combine with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika & cumin and 1/4 tsp salt & black pepper. Place in the oven at 200C/400F until soft and lightly charred (30-40mins).
- Meanwhile, in a large pot over low-medium heat add crumbled chorizo. Gently fry and render down the fat until nice and crispy, then remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan.
- Increase heat slightly to medium and add the onion. Fry until soft and golden, adding more oil if needed, then add in garlic & chilli flakes and fry for a minute or so longer. Stir in tomato paste and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add in the roasted red peppers, then pour in stock and use your wooden spoon to deglaze the pot (can also scrape off any flavour left on the baking tray with a splash of water/stock).
- Pop the lid on and simmer for 15-20mins, just to marry the flavours together and completely soften the peppers. Remove lid and blitz until smooth. Taste test for seasoning/spice and adjust accordingly. If you like it thinner then add more stock. If you go overboard with the liquid just simmer to thicken.
- Serve individual portions with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the crispy chorizo and a pinch of chilli flakes if you want extra spice. Enjoy!
Quick Demo
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition:
If you loved this Red Pepper Soup Recipe be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a burning question? Give me a shout in the comments below!
Wonderful combination!
Your grilled cheese chips and spicy roasted red pepper soup. Good friends and a bottle of white. It was a perfect get together. Thank you Chis for the idea and deliciousness.
Kelly
So happy to hear this went down well, Kelly! 🙂