Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup

This red pepper soup recipe has a deep flavor and silky texture from roasted red peppers. Potatoes give it heft and body. Purée until creamy, add a splash of cream or milk, and grab a spoon!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated February 10, 2022
Elise Bauer
Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup
Elise Bauer

The inspiration for this recipe comes from my mother's friend Claire, who grows beautiful red bell peppers in her garden. She brought over some soup for us to try and a recipe.

Roasted Red Soup
Elise Bauer

Making the Best Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Over the years we've adjusted the recipe to include more peppers and fewer potatoes, to intensify the roasted red pepper flavor.

By the way, this soup is open to flexibility on the ingredients and amounts. Claire originally made her soup with non-fat milk instead of cream, and it was still wonderful.

Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup
Elise Bauer

Make It Dairy-Free

There are two types of dairy in this recipe: heavy cream and butter. You can make it without either by following these tips.

  • Use olive oil instead of butter to sauté the onions.
  • Replace the heavy cream with full fat coconut milk or cashew cream.
  • Omit the heavy cream altogether. The soup will be thinner, but will still be delicious.

How to Make Roasted Red Peppers

Step 1 explains how to roast red peppers, but here are some additional tips for roasting red peppers. If you can't scrape every bit of skin off the roasted peppers, it's okay. Do your best, and you'll pulverize whatever is left behind when you blend the soup.

  • Oven: Roast them under the broiler to make quick work of it. Keep a close eye on the peppers and turn them as soon as they start to blacken on one side.
  • Toaster oven: use the broiler to roast the red peppers. It can take longer than a full-size oven, though.
  • Gas range: You can crank up the heat to high on a burner and set the pepper directly on it, turning the pepper with tongs as it blackens. This is a popular method in restaurants, but beware: it can be messy, and it produces some smoke.
  • Shortcut! Use jarred roasted red peppers. One (12-ounce) jar typically holds 2 roasted peppers, so you'd need 2 jars for this recipe.

Tips for Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently.

We do not recommend freezing this soup because of the cream and potatoes. The consistency of the soup won't be the same once it's thawed.

More Soup Recipes to Make!

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Roasted Red Pepper Potato Soup

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 large red bell peppers

  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

  • 1/4 cup cream or milk

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • Cayenne, salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Roast the bell peppers until blackened all over:

    Roast the red bell peppers by placing them over or under an open flame until they blacken on all sides. (You can use a grill, cooktop gas burner, or oven broiler.) Place the blackened peppers in a bowl, cover the bowl with a plate, and let the peppers steam for 5 minutes, or until the skins feel like they can easily be slipped off. Remove the peppers from the bowl, peel off the blackened skins, remove the seeds. Chop the peppers roughly.

  2. Sauté the onions:

    Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Add the potatoes and garlic:

    Add the potatoes and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, then add the garlic and the chopped roasted peppers. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

  4. Add the stock and simmer:

    Add the stock, stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are soft, about 12 to 15 minutes.

  5. Purée the soup:

    Purée the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Fill the blender about halfway with the soup. Start the blender on low and keep your hand on the top, in case the lid wants to pop off from the rising steam. Once everything is well chopped, turn the blender to its highest setting and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. You might need to do this in batches.

  6. Add the cream, season to taste, and serve:

    Return to a clean pot set over low heat. Add the cream, stir well and taste. Add some cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
398 Calories
12g Fat
62g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 398
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 32mg 11%
Sodium 474mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 62g 22%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 70mg 349%
Calcium 78mg 6%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 1577mg 34%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.