Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Similar to the tomato soup I recently made, this roasted red pepper soup also started out as a sauce. This tends to be a pattern for me.
I set out to make a sauce and find it to be much better as a soup. I don’t mind the detour mid-way through the recipe because leftover soup is everything to me – especially one whose pureed crimson color seems to sit ever so quietly in small glass jars at the base of my fridge almost as though each jar smiles at me each time I open the fridge door.
This soup is light and creamy with the addition one of those itty bitty cans of coconut cream, which just so happens to be one of my favorite ways to create a luscious, velvety consistency.
The deep sweetness of a roasted pepper makes it suitable for any soup (or sauce, hehe) mostly because the peppers do the heavy lifting. I’m talking about red, orange and yellow bell peppers – I’m not so much a fan of their sibling, the green bell pepper. It doesn’t digest well in my belly nor does it yield the gorgeous flavors the others do.
This roasted bell pepper soup, for me, was all about mingling a few simple flavors together and keeping it light enough for spring yet hearty enough for winter.
The bold cherry color of the roasted bell peppers unified with a few splashes of coconut cream hushes the peppery flavor and softens the saturation ever so slightly into a bright soup that looks beautiful when paired with a few grape tomatoes and fresh basil for serving. Enjoy.
All supplies used in this recipe can be found In My Kitchen.
Click the Play button below to hear me share a few helpful tips and walk you through the simple steps of making this recipe. Maybe, like me, you’ve had times when you’ve struggle to read through a recipe and follow the steps. All kinds of life circumstances–grief, trauma, stress—can tax our cognitive processing abilities, which is why I’ve created these audio clips to further support you now that I’m in this more healed place.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers seeded and quartered
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt divided, plus more to taste
- 1 cup water plus more as needed
- 1 (5.4 oz) can coconut cream
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- cherry tomatoes, quartered for serving
- fresh basil or parsley garnish
- crushed red pepper flakes optional garnish
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sliced peppers on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and use your hands to ensure the peppers are glossy and well coated. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. sea salt, then spread the peppers out on the baking sheet. Note: The peppers should not be touching – that will lead to steamed peppers, not roasted peppers. Roast for 35 minutes or until the peppers are very tender and golden brown.
- Remove the peppers from the oven; set aside for 2 minutes to cool, then transfer them to a high speed blender with the water, coconut cream, walnuts, garlic, spices and remaining 1/4 tsp. sea salt. Season to taste with sea salt.
- Serve warm with tomatoes, fresh basil or parsley and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Store leftovers in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the soup before serving.
