Smooth, smoky Roasted Pepper Soup made from oven-roasted peppers, onion, shallots and garlic, blended with tomatoes and herbs into one silky bowl. Ready in about 30 minutes, naturally vegan, and cheap enough for any weeknight.
Roasted Pepper Soup turns five oven-charred peppers into a rich, velvety bowl with very little effort. Roasting the peppers, onion, shallots and garlic at high heat draws out their natural sweetness, then a tin of tomatoes and a handful of dried herbs round everything out before it all goes through the blender. The whole thing takes around 30 minutes start to finish, most of it hands-off while the tray sits in the oven. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and cheap to make, with a texture you control from thick and spoon-coating to light and pourable.
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Ingredients for Roasted Pepper Soup
- Red and orange peppers – The base of the soup. Roasting concentrates their sugars and gives the bowl its colour and gentle smoky-sweet flavour.
- Garlic – Roasted whole until soft, so the sharp raw bite turns mellow and almost nutty.
- Yellow onion – Adds the savoury, rounded backbone that every good soup needs.
- Shallots – Milder and sweeter than onion, they add a little extra depth without taking over.
- Peeled diced tomatoes – Bring acidity and body, which keeps the roasted sweetness in check and stops the soup tasting flat.
- Grapeseed oil – Has a high smoke point, so it copes with a hot oven without burning and helps the vegetables char rather than steam. Can use olive oil instead.
- Oregano, dried basil and dried thyme – A simple Mediterranean herb trio that gives the soup its warm, savoury aroma.
- Vegetable stock – Loosens the blended vegetables into soup and lets you set the exact thickness you want.
- Salt and pepper – Pull all the flavours into focus. Season at the end, once you can taste the finished blend.
How to Make Roasted Pepper Soup
- Step 1: Heat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Wash the peppers, halve them and remove the seeds and white membranes, then slice. Peel and quarter the onion, peel and slice the shallots, and peel the garlic cloves whole. Tip everything into a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Add a pinch of salt, plenty of cracked black pepper, the oregano, thyme and basil.
- Step 3: Pour over the grapeseed oil and toss well so every piece is coated. Grapeseed oil is worth using here — its high smoke point suits high-temperature roasting and lets the vegetables caramelise instead of burning. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray, giving them room rather than piling them up. Roast for 25 minutes, until soft and lightly charred at the edges. An air fryer works too, at the same temperature and time.
- Step 4: Meanwhile, prepare the stock — dissolve a cube in 500ml hot water, or warm homemade stock on the hob. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender and add the tin of tomatoes, juice and all. Start blending, then add the stock gradually until you hit the texture you want, from silky and thick to lighter and pourable. Taste, adjust the salt and herbs, and serve warm with cracked pepper, fresh basil, and croutons if you like.
How to Serve and Store Roasted Pepper Soup
Roasted Pepper Soup is best served warm with something to dip. Sourdough toast, cheesy croutons or a proper grilled cheese all work, and a swirl of dairy-free yoghurt or a spoonful of pesto lifts it nicely if you want it a little richer. In warmer weather it is also good lightly chilled with a dollop of yoghurt stirred through.
To store, cool it fully and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days — the flavour actually deepens overnight. It freezes well too, for up to three months in portioned containers. Reheat gently on the hob, loosening with a splash of water or stock if it has thickened.
More Easy Soup Recipes You Might Enjoy
If this one goes down well, here are a few more soups from the blog worth a try.
For another roasted, blended bowl, take a look at The Best Creamy Roasted Root Vegetable Soup with Roasted Garlic — sweet root veg roasted down and finished with mellow roasted garlic.
If you want something with a bit of warmth, try the Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup — bright, gently spiced and just as smooth.
For a heartier, more filling option, there is the Chunky Lentil Soup — a thick, vegan bowl that works as a full meal.
When you fancy something with a fresh, green edge, the Asparagus Soup is easy, light and quick to put together.
And for pure comfort on a cold evening, the Leek and Potato Soup is a creamy, reliable classic.
What Roasted Pepper Soup Costs Around the World
This is a genuinely budget-friendly soup, since peppers and onions are cheap almost everywhere and the herbs are storecupboard staples.
- In the UK, a full batch comes to roughly £2.50–£3.50, or about 60–90p a serving, with mixed pepper packs from Tesco, Aldi or Lidl the cheapest way to buy the main ingredient.
- In Ireland, expect around €3.50–€4.50 for the pot, or about €0.90–€1.10 per serving — loose or pre-packed peppers from Tesco, Dunnes or SuperValu keep costs down.
- In the USA, the whole batch lands near $4–$5.50, around $1–$1.40 a bowl, with bell peppers cheapest from Walmart, Aldi or Trader Joe's.
- In Spain, where peppers are a local staple, it is one of the cheapest places to make it — roughly €2–€3 for the lot, well under €0.75 a serving from any mercado or Mercadona.
- And in Australia, where peppers are sold as capsicums, the batch runs about AU$6–$8, or AU$1.50–$2 per serving, with Woolworths and Coles the usual stops.
Wherever you make this Roasted Pepper Soup, four good servings rarely cost more than a single shop-bought carton.
Tips and Notes for the Best Roasted Pepper Soup
- Char is flavour, so do not pull the tray too early. The soup gets its smoky depth from those slightly blackened edges on the peppers and onion, which is where the roasting sugars caramelise. Aim for soft vegetables with brown, just-charred tips rather than pale, steamed ones. If your oven runs cool, give them an extra five minutes and check again.
- Keep an eye on the garlic in particular. Whole peeled cloves roast faster than chunks of pepper and onion, and they turn bitter the moment they scorch. If they are colouring too quickly, tuck them under a few pepper slices or pull them out a couple of minutes early and add them straight to the blender. Sweet, soft roasted garlic is one of the best things in this soup, so it is worth protecting.
- Do not crowd the baking tray. If the vegetables are piled on top of each other they release steam and stew instead of roasting, and you lose that caramelised flavour. Spread everything in a single layer with a little space between the pieces, and use two trays if you need to. A bit of room is the difference between roasted and merely cooked.
- Season in two stages for the best result. A pinch of salt before roasting helps draw moisture out and encourages browning, but the real seasoning happens at the end once the soup is blended and you can actually taste it. Roasting concentrates flavour, so a soup that tasted right raw can end up under-seasoned, or occasionally over-salted, after the oven. Always taste the finished blend before serving.
- The stock is your texture dial, so add it slowly. Pour in a little, blend, then keep adding until the soup is exactly as thick or thin as you like it. It is much easier to loosen a thick soup than to rescue one that has gone watery, so err on the cautious side at first. Hold a splash back as well, since the soup thickens slightly as it sits.
- Use the ripest peppers you can find for natural sweetness. Red and orange peppers are sweeter than green ones because they are simply riper, which is exactly what you want here. Look for firm, glossy peppers with no soft patches, and a mix of red and orange gives the soup its warm colour. Avoid green peppers in this recipe, as they bring a grassy bitterness that fights the roasted sweetness.
- Roasted Pepper Soup tastes even better the next day, so it is ideal for batch cooking. The herbs and roasted vegetables settle and deepen overnight in the fridge, much like a curry or a stew. Make a double batch, eat one portion fresh and freeze the rest in single servings for easy lunches. It reheats from frozen with no loss of flavour or texture.
- Garnish with intent rather than habit, because it changes how the soup eats. A few cracks of black pepper, fresh basil and a handful of croutons add aroma, freshness and crunch against the smooth purée. A swirl of cream, yoghurt or pesto adds richness if you want it. Even a drizzle of good olive oil over the top lifts the whole bowl.
- Blend longer than you think for a properly silky finish. Roasted pepper skins can leave a slightly grainy texture if you stop too soon, so let a high-speed blender run for a full minute or two. If you only have a hand blender and want it perfectly smooth, pass the blended soup through a sieve afterwards. The reward is that restaurant-style velvety texture that makes this soup feel far fancier than it is.
Roasted Pepper Soup FAQ
Do I need to peel the peppers for this Roasted Pepper Soup?
No peeling is needed. Once the peppers are roasted, the skins soften completely and blend away smoothly, especially in a high-speed blender. Leaving them on saves time and keeps the fibre and nutrients in the soup. If you are using a weaker blender and want a flawless texture, you can pass the finished soup through a sieve instead of peeling.
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of a tin?
Yes, fresh tomatoes work well in this soup. Roughly chop four or five ripe ones and roast them on the tray alongside the peppers so they soften and concentrate. Bear in mind that tinned tomatoes are picked and packed at peak ripeness, so they often give a richer, more consistent flavour than out-of-season fresh ones. Either way, the tomatoes add the acidity that balances the roasted sweetness.
Is Roasted Pepper Soup healthy?
It is a genuinely nutritious bowl. Peppers are very high in vitamin C and vitamin A, plus antioxidants, and the soup contains no cream or added sugar in this version. It is also naturally vegan and gluten-free, which makes it suitable for a wide range of diets. To keep it light, finish it with herbs and a drizzle of olive oil rather than cream.
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Absolutely, and it is one of the best soups for it. The flavour deepens overnight as the roasted vegetables and herbs settle, so a batch made the day before often tastes better. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze portions for up to three months. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of stock or water to loosen it.
What is the best way to blend the soup?
Either a high-speed jug blender or a hand (immersion) blender will work. A jug blender gives the smoothest, most velvety result, which suits this soup well. A hand blender is more convenient and easier to clean, and works fine if you blend for long enough directly in the pan. Whichever you use, take your time so the pepper skins break down fully.
Can I make Roasted Pepper Soup creamy?
Yes, very easily. Stir in a splash of double cream, coconut milk or a spoonful of crème fraîche at the end, after blending, and warm it through gently without boiling. Coconut milk keeps it vegan while adding a silky richness. Start with a small amount, as you can always add more but cannot take it back out.
Can I add chilli or spice to this soup?
Definitely. Roast a fresh red chilli or a pinch of dried chilli flakes alongside the peppers for gentle background heat. Smoked paprika is another excellent addition, as it amplifies the roasted, smoky character that this soup is built around. Add spice gradually and taste as you go, since it intensifies once the soup is blended and concentrated.
Can I use an air fryer instead of the oven?
Yes, an air fryer works very well for the roasting stage. Use the same temperature of 200°C and the same 25-minute timing, though you may need to roast in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Shake or turn the vegetables halfway through for even charring. The high circulating heat actually gives a lovely char on the peppers.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Easy Chilled Carrot Soup Recipe for Hot Summer Days
- Easy Pea Soup with Bacon and Vegetables
- The Best Creamy Roasted Root Vegetable Soup with Roasted Garlic
- The Best Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Roasted Pepper Soup:
Roasted Pepper Soup
Roasted Pepper Soup is smooth, smoky and naturally sweet, made from oven-roasted peppers, onion, shallots and garlic blended with tomatoes and herbs. This easy Roasted Pepper Soup is vegan, gluten-free and ready in around 30 minutes, with a texture you can set from thick to pourable.
Ingredients
- 5 large red and orange peppers
- 5–6 garlic cloves
- 1 yellow onion
- 2–3 shallots
- 1 tin (400g / 14 oz) peeled diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock (stock cube or homemade)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Wash the peppers, halve them, remove the seeds and white membranes and slice. Peel and quarter the onion, peel and slice the shallots, and peel the garlic cloves whole. Place everything in a large mixing bowl.
- Add a pinch of salt, plenty of cracked black pepper, the oregano, basil and thyme. Pour over the grapeseed oil and toss until every piece is well coated. Grapeseed oil suits this job because its high smoke point handles high-heat roasting without burning.
- Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray, leaving space between the pieces. Roast for 25 minutes, until soft and just charred at the edges. An air fryer can be used instead, at the same temperature and time.
- While the vegetables roast, prepare the stock — dissolve a cube in 500ml hot water, or warm homemade stock on the hob. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender, start blending, and add the stock gradually until the soup reaches your preferred texture, from silky and thick to lighter and pourable.
- Taste and adjust the salt and herbs as needed. Serve warm, garnished with cracked black pepper, fresh basil and croutons if you like.
