This Roasted Red Pepper Soup has the best tomato based broth with vibrant roasted red peppers and simple seasonings. It's easy to make and fun to customize!
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
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.