This cozy Roasted Red Pepper Soup recipe has the best combination of ingredients and flavor enhancers for a perfectly balanced flavor that you will love! It’s easy to make and fun to get creative with!
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
This Roasted Pepper Soup could win awards! (Seriously.) The ingredients in this soup are so well balanced, there is representation from every flavor in just the right quantity.
There’s a hint of sweetness to compliment the deliciously charred roasted red peppers and to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. The sweetness comes from caramelizing onions and carrots just a little bit in the beginning, as well as adding a touch of brown sugar.
There’s also a little umami from soy sauce, a dash of heat from hot sauce, (that won’t make this spicy), garlic, fresh tomatoes, and the best combination of seasonings.
A little bit of cream and Parmesan cheese is the best way to finish off this soup, (but those are also optional)!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Caramelize onions and carrots in butter for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings and cook for 2 minutes.
Add white wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened and reduced by half. Add the roasted red peppers and crushed tomatoes.
Add the chicken broth and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (Or transfer to a blender in batches.) Simmer, for 30 minutes, uncovered. It will thicken and the flavors meld and concentrate.
Stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese, if using. Garnish with croutons, Parmesan cheese shavings, and/or freshly cracked black pepper if desired. Serve with Garlic Bread With Cheese!
Pro Tips
- Onions/Carrots: These are caramelized a little in the beginning to release their natural sugars and offset the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Cheese: I use Belgioioso Parmesan for this recipe.
- Hot Sauce, Mustard Powder, Soy Sauce, and Brown Sugar are flavor enhancers in this sauce that you can’t taste outright. I use Frank’s hot sauce and it won’t make it spicy.
- Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth to make this meatless.
- Tortellini and/or spinach makes a great addition to this soup, I like to boil it separately and add it directly to serving bowls, but it can also be cooked right in the soup. Just note that it continues to absorb the broth during storage if you plan on having leftovers.
- Pairing Suggestions: Garlic Bread with Cheese, Ranch Oyster Crackers, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Buttermilk Biscuits.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze and reheat very well.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Immersion Blender -I use this often for soups and sauces, it makes blending quick, easy, and clean.
- 4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– The perfect size for almost any soup recipe.
- Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– For measuring seasonings, etc. ahead of time.
- Soup Ladle
Try These Next
- Chicken Parmesan
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Honey Glazed Salmon
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Homemade Ramen
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup carrots, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
- 20 oz. roasted red peppers, drained. (Two 10 oz. jars)
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream, optional
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated. (Optional)
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon EACH: parsley, mustard powder
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Serving Options
- Parmesan cheese shavings, croutons, freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and stir to coat in the butter. Reduce to medium-low, cover and cook until the onions begin to caramelize, about 25 minutes. Lift the lid and stir every few minutes during cooking and reduce heat to low if vegetables begin to cook too rapidly. Meanwhile, measure out remaining ingredients.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Add the wine and increase heat to medium. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to stir it as it cooks.
- Add the roasted red peppers, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth and remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or carefully transfer to a blender.
- Return to the stove and bring to a gentle bubble. Let it simmer and reduce for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. (Or until desired thickness/consistency is obtained.) The longer it simmers, the thicker and more concentrated it will become.
- Turn heat off. Stir in the heavy cream and gradually sprinkle in the grated cheese, if using. Garnish with croutons, Parmesan shavings, and freshly cracked pepper if desired. Serve with Garlic Bread With Cheese!
Notes
- Onions/Carrots: These are caramelized a little in the beginning to release their natural sugars and offset the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Cheese: I use Belgioioso Parmesan for this recipe.
- Hot Sauce, Mustard Powder, Soy Sauce, and Brown Sugar are flavor enhancers in this sauce that you can’t taste outright. I use Frank’s hot sauce and it won’t make it spicy.
- Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth to make this meatless.
- Tortellini and/or spinach makes a great addition to this soup, I like to boil it separately and add it directly to serving bowls, but it can also be cooked right in the soup. Just note that it continues to absorb the broth during storage if you plan on having leftovers.
- Pairing Suggestions: Garlic Bread with Cheese, Ranch Oyster Crackers, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Buttermilk Biscuits.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze and reheat very well.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per cup. This recipe makes approximately 11 cups, or 6 servings.
Hi! Can I use water instead of the chicken broth to make it vegetarian? Other suggestions instead? Thank you in advance!
Hi Mandy! I would use vegetable broth instead of water! 🙂
Another nice recepie for a light and cozy meal.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Marcelo, thank you so much for the review, you’re the best!! -Stephanie
Hi Stephanie! Love your recipes!
In this recipe, if I use the Better than Bouillon, do I add 1 teaspoon (times 5) per 1 cup of water (times 5) to substitute for the 5 cups of broth that’s called for in the recipe or just add 5 teaspoons of the product straight into the soup ? I’ve always used canned broth and never used the the Better than Bouillon product before so I’m not familiar with its use. Please let me know because I’m anxious to make the Roasted Red Pepper Soup so I can give it 5 stars! :>) It L@@KS and sounds so delicious!
Thanx so much and keep up the tasty recipes!
Hi Vanessa! You can either combine 5 cups of water (hot so that it dissolves), with 5 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon and add that to the soup, or you can add 5 cups of water to the soup pot and stir in 5 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon! 🙂 Can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
This was excellent! Made as written and took the suggestion to cook tortellini separately. It was fast , easy and delicious!
I am sooo happy that you loved it Suzanne! The cheese-filled tortellini addition is my husband’s FAVORITE too! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how it came out, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
Instant Pot?
This recipe is designed around using the stove top.
Outstanding flavor! I used low sodium ingredients. Great recipe.
Sorry, forgot the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m soooo happy to hear that Quincy!!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, you’re the best!! -Stephanie
This recipe is definitely NOT short on flavor. You’ve really out-done yourself with this one Mrs. Cozy! I just love the sweetness of the roasted red peppers combined with the other vegetables and then cream! I just bought an immersion blender and I’m so glad I did because it really brings out a creamy blast of flavor combinations that I couldn’t quite get without it. So soothing and wonderful!!! You’ve seasoned this soup perfectly and my husband and I loved it! Next time I’ll make a little tortellini to put in my grand-kids’ bowls but it is definitely not needed with this flavor!!! This recipe will stay on top of my pile for years to come. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the great comments Eloise! I’m so happy the soup was such a hit. Adding some tortellini next time is a great idea, thanks again!💖