Cozy, comfort food. Even better, quick and easy cozy, comfort food! My roasted red pepper tomato soup is smoky, savory, sweet, creamy, and down right addictive. And it will have dinner on the table in no time. Bonus!
Hello, all!
Summer is winding down here. School is in full swing, nights are getting chilly (yay!), and I’m enjoying late summer produce every chance I get.
I first made this soup when my parents visited for my daughter’s spring concert. Her school has two concerts a year and mom and dad are back from Florida for the spring one so we’ve made it a tradition they come down.
Which of course means that I’m going to test recipes on them! What is family for anyway? š
Though we all enjoyed the rest of dinner, the hit of the evening was the tomato soup. If I had cooked nothing else but this soup and some bread, we all would have been very happy and satisfied. It was seriously the best tomato soup!
For the bread, how about some rosemary no knead bread? Or maybe some garlic thyme no knead focaccia? None of the kneading and all of the flavor!
Why did it take me three months to post the soup if we loved it that much? Summer! I got distracted by shiny produce and I figured you were too. But now that the weather is cooling again and cozy comfort foods are back on the menu, it’s time for a bowl of warming roasted red pepper and tomato soup.
Don’t you think?
How do you make roasted red pepper tomato soup?
To make roasted red pepper tomato soup, saute up carrots, shallots, and garlic. Then add tomato paste, stock, roasted tomatoes, and roasted peppers and simmer until done. Puree, add cream and toppings, and eat!
- Saute carrots, shallots, and garlic in butter.
- Add tomato paste and saute.
- Add stock, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. Simmer.
- Puree, stir in cream, and serve with toppings.
To expand on those directions, start by sauteing the carrots and shallots over low heat in butter. You want them to get all soft and browned but not burned. This is your first layer of flavor.
Then add the garlic and give it a stir, followed by the tomato paste. Saute that tomato paste so that it browns and caramelizes a little. Here is your second layer of flavor!
Now you add the tomatoes, stock, peppers, and rosemary. I’m not sure how many layers it is at this point since you have roasted veggies, rich stock, and herbs. So much flavor!
Let everything simmer until it’s soft. Then puree until smooth. (Remember to pick out that rosemary sprig!)
Ladle into bowls, swirl in some cream, top with basil, and add a few fried croutons to send it over top. Eat. Your stomach and taste buds will thank you. š
More Vegetable Soup Recipes
If you’re looking for some other cozy vegetable soups for the colder months, I have a few great ones!
First I should mention my other tomato soup. Just as easy and amazing as this soup, is my Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (with a wine soaked crouton – can’t forget that part!). I’ve been making my tomato basil soup for years and it’s always a hit.
Next up, I have a couple of slow cooker vegetable soups. A Potato Leek Slow Soup and a Zuppa Toscana Slow Cooker Soup. Both are great to come home to at the end of the day!
And then I have pile of other yummy, warming soups: Cheesy Potato Carrot Soup, Cauliflower Blue Cheese Soup, Spicy Roast Pumpkin Soup, and more in my Soups and Stews category.
This recipe is definitely maximum taste for minimum work. Easy is the word! We have plenty of chilly days ahead of us here and this soup should be in your rotation.
If you try my recipe for Red Pepper Tomato Soup, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.
ā Stay Cozy, Annemarie
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- kosher salt
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 medium shallots, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 15-oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 roasted red pepper
- 2 cups vegetable stock, low or no sodium
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves
Fried Croutons
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups rustic bread
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot on medium low. Add the carrots and shallots and a pinch of kosher salt. Saute until soft and browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and saute for 1-2 minutes, moving it around all the time. It should get a little dark and caramelized.
- Add the tomatoes, red pepper, stock, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce it down to low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig.
- Transfer the soup to a blender and puree in two batches. Return the soup to the pot and bring back to a simmer.
- Serve with cream (for people to swirl into their bowls), sliced basil, and fried croutons.
Fried Croutons
- Make the croutons while the soup is simmering.
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the bread and fry, moving the bread around frequently, until the bread is crisp and golden brown on all sides.
- Remove the croutons to a plate and sprinkle them with kosher salt.
Notes
- Fried Croutons: Note that the bread will not be evenly browned since it is being cooked in just a little oil. However, you do want the bread to get a least a little brown on all sides.
- Tomatoes: I used diced fired roasted canned tomatoes by Muir Glen.
- Sourness: If the tomato soup is too sour for you, you can add some sugar to balance it or use some baking soda. If you decide to use baking soda start with just a pinch, let it react completely, and then taste. Using too much will result in a flat-tasting soup.
- Stock: You can use chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock for a non-vegetarian option.
Marguerita Currier says
Annemarie, This is on my must make this soon list. So good. Who is your photographer, anyway?
Love, Marge, a.k.a. Mom
justalittlebitofbacon says
You’re funny, mom. š As if I would have anyone else taking my photos!
Cheryl says
Looks and sounds wonderful – if I only had regular diced tomatoes, I would probably add some smoked paprika to compensate. Trying soon!
justalittlebitofbacon says
That is a great idea, Cheryl! I know roasted canned tomatoes are not always available so upping the smoky quotient would definitely help with regular tomatoes.