Roasted Red Pepper Soup
by Sommer Collier — on Jan 12, 2026 
If you’re looking to update your favorite tomato soup and grilled cheese combo, I’ve got just the recipe for you! My creamy roasted red pepper gouda soup is cheesy and comforting, but with bold pepper flavor and seasonings that make even a rustic bowl of soup seem exciting. I serve it with a slice of gouda cheese toast on the side for a satisfying meal that doesn’t feel too heavy!
I’m one of those people that will never say “no” to a warm bowl of soup with an ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich, regardless of the time of year or weather. (Seriously, why would you limit some of the best comfort foods to only cold days?) If you love creamy soups even close to as much as I do, today’s roasted red pepper gouda soup recipe is a fabulous addition to your repertoire! Like my creamy poblano soup it’s slightly more elegant than a traditional tomato soup, with deep rustic pepper flavor, a touch of tomato, fresh herbs, and a silky smoky finish from the addition of heavy cream and smoked gouda. To top it all off and offer you an even more elevated meal, I’ve added a side of gouda cheese toast for dipping. You’re welcome!
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Awe-Inspiring Flavor – I don’t mean to be over the top, but the complexity of flavors in this roasted red pepper soup really is phenomenal! The broth is rich and velvety, with a slightly smoky, bright, and perky pepper flavor unlike anything you’ve ever tasted in a cheesy soup.
Soup-er Tips for Success – The idea of roasting peppers at home might seem a bit daunting. But with my tips below, it’s actually super-duper easy to blend up this one-pot recipe. I am guiding you step-by-step on how to roast the red peppers, easily remove the skin, and use your choice of blender to make the smoothest, most delicious soup.
One Soup, Many Meals – I created this recipe to make 6-8 large servings of soup and cheese toast. I typically serve it for dinner one night with a salad, then save leftovers for lunch later in the week. If it’s just the two of us, myself and Dan, there is easily enough soup for us to each have another dinner portion, too!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Red bell peppers – I don’t worry too much about slight blemishes or a bit of wrinkling. (My life motto!) The peppers are roasted until they blister, so while they need to be fresh, they don’t need to be pretty.
- Garlic and onion – If we’re making a savory dish, chances are high that it’ll include this aromatic power duo.
- Broth – I typically use chicken broth. But veggie broth is also delicious and (ta-da!) makes this a vegetarian red pepper soup with just the one swap.
- Tomato paste – From a small can or paste in a tube.
- Heavy cream – I’m not going to even offer an alternative here, people. Use true full-fat heavy cream simply for the absolute best red pepper soup.
- Smoked gouda – I shred the cheese by hand for the best fresh taste and melting abilities.
- Seasonings – I use a combination of fresh thyme, dried bay leaves, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and my secret ingredient… A dash of cayenne pepper. This is optional, sure, but the spicy heat is fantastic with the smooth and sweet roasted red peppers.
- Baguette – Choose a large, fresh French baguette that you can easily cut into thick 1-inch slices.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep and Roast – To start, I line a baking sheet with parchment paper, peel garlic cloves, and scatter them on the baking sheet. Then I use a sharp knife to cut each red pepper in half lengthwise, pop out the stem, and scoop out the seeds and membrane. Next, I flip the peppers face-down on a baking sheet, and firmly press down on the backs to smoosh them a bit.
I set the oven to broil and move a rack into the upper third position of the oven before popping in the baking sheet, so the peppers are right there under the broiler element. I am sure it doesn’t need to be said, but as a mother I feel like I must say it… Be careful!
The peppers broil for about 10-15 minutes. But I start really watching them after 6 or 7 minutes to make sure they only char and don’t completely burn.
Bag and Steam – If you’re wondering what’s the easiest way to peel roasted red peppers, you might be surprised to learn that the answer is… Steam! The moisture helps to separate the charred skin from the soft pepper flesh.
To do this, I first transfer the charred peppers into a sealed ziplock bag, and leave the garlic cloves on the baking sheet for now. Then I zip the bag and let the steam work its magic for 10-15 minutes, loosening the skins so that they pretty much rub right off with little effort on your part.
Sauté Veggies and Add Broth – While the peppers are steaming in the bag, I sauté the onion, garlic, and dry bay leaves in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once the onions are soft, in goes the broth, tomato paste, spices, and those tasty little roasted garlic cloves. I give everything a stir and bring the heat up to a simmer.
Peel and Add Peppers – While the soup base simmers, I remove the charred red pepper skins and toss ’em into the compost. Then the roasted peppers go into the pot, no need to cut them up first.
Simmer and Blend – I adjust the stovetop temperature to get the soup to a gentle simmer, put on the pot lid, and let it cook for about 20 minutes. You only need to check and stir the soup every 5 minutes or so to be sure it stays at an even simmer and the peppers don’t stick. After 20 minutes, I take off the lid, remove the bay leaves, and scoop out as much of the thyme as I can. Then I turn off the heat and blend the soup until it is completely smooth, with no chunks of pepper or garlic.
There is still one more quick step to finish the soup, but I preheat the oven to 350 degrees to make the cheese toasts before moving on.
Add Cream and Cheese – Once the soup is pureed, I stir in the heavy cream. Let it fully blend into the hot soup base before stirring in a little less than half of the shredded gouda cheese, one handful at a time so it doesn’t all clump together. Now I step back to bake the cheese toast while the soup settles and the flavors meld.
Cheesy Toast Time – While the soup is doing its flavor-melding thing, I place the slices of baguette on the baking sheet, and top each slice with a small mound of shredded gouda. Bake these in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Expert Tip
There are two ways to blend the red pepper soup, with either a hand-held blender or standing blender. I prefer to use a hand-held electric immersion blender because it is so, well, handy. (And cleaning it is pretty easy.) Be sure to first take the soup pot off the heat, obviously, and keep the blender end completely submerged in the pot before turning it on or off.
If you want to use a standing blender and work in batches, be sure your model is heat-resistant and safe for hot liquids. Otherwise, you need to let the soup cool down before blending, then reheat it in the pot on the stovetop. Either way, first remove the plug from the lid when using the blender, and cover the hole with a kitchen towel. This lets steam from the hot soup escape without coating your kitchen in red pepper soup splatter! If you’ve ever had the lid of your blender pop off the top like a gunshot, you know why I’m suggesting this. *wink*
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve bowls of soup and toasted cheesy baguette slices for dinner with a salad, like Lieutenant Dan’s romaine hearts salad or my classic Caesar salad.
Want to have it with a heartier sidekick? Consider skipping the cheese toast and pair the roasted red pepper soup with a gouda grilled cheese sandwich or pesto sandwich.
Storing and Reheating
Once the soup has fully cooled, you can transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days.
When reheating, gentle heat is key to keeping the red pepper soup creamy and preventing the cheese from separating. I warm it slowly on the stovetop over low to medium-low heat, stirring frequently. If you want to reheat the soup in the microwave, use short intervals and stir between each one so it heats evenly and does not boil. (Otherwise, the cheesy soup will become grainy and icky.)
Frequently Asked Questions
I definitely recommend peeling the skins off the roasted red peppers before adding them to the soup. Charring the outside adds a fabulous flavor to the pepper flesh, but charred skin itself does not taste good.
Yes, you sure can. Canned and jarred roasted red peppers don’t have the same vibrant flavor as using fresh peppers, but in a pinch, they will still make a tasty soup. Prepare the soup base the same way with aromatics and broth, then drain any liquid from the can or jar before adding the roasted peppers to the pot and continuing with the recipe.
I love that this creamy soup isn’t too thick. But if you like, it’s easy to thicken it up by stirring in more shredded cheese or a cornstarch slurry. To make a slurry, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold heavy cream or milk in a small bowl until the powder has completely dissolved. Put the soup pot on the stovetop, turn the heat to medium-low, and bring the soup to a very gentle, almost-simmer. Pour in a teaspoon or so of the slurry at a time, stirring for a minute or two as it thickens, and adding more as needed to get the consistency just right.
Easy! Stir in a bit of extra broth, heavy cream, or milk into the roasted red pepper gouda soup. I only add a tablespoon or so at a time if necessary… A little bit of liquid goes a long way, and you don’t want to throw off the flavors!
More Soup Recipes
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red bell peppers (8-10) halved and cleaned
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces smoked gouda shredded and divided
- 6-8 slices baguette
Instructions
- Cut the peppers in half and remove all seeds and membranes. Press the red peppers flat with your hand and lay them on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the garlic cloves on the baking sheet.
- Set the oven on broil and raise the rack to the upper position. Broil the red peppers and garlic for 10- 15 minutes, until thoroughly charred.
- Once the pepper skin has blackened, remove the pan from the oven. Use tongs to place the peppers in a large gallon zip bag to steam. Leave them for 10-15 minutes.
- Set a large 6-8 quart pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, thyme, and bay leaves. Sauté for 10 minutes, until the onions are soft.
- Add the broth, roasted garlic cloves, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer.
- Then peel the charred skin off each pepper half and place the peppers in the pot. Discard the waxy skins.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Then, using a hand-held immersion blender or standard blender, blend until smooth. *If using a standard blender, be sure to remove the plug on the lid and cover with a kitchen towel—this will allow the hot steam to vent without a big mess! Once the soup is pureed, add the heavy cream and 3 ounces of shredded gouda to the soup. Puree again and allow the cheese to melt into the soup. Taste, then add salt and pepper if needed. If the soup is too thick, add an additional 1 cup of broth or water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- Meawhile, turn the oven to 350℉. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet. and sprinkle with 5 ounces of shredded gouda. Bake the cheese toast for 5-7 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
- Serve each cup of soup with a gouda cheese toast!
Easy to make and packed with flavor. The perfect comforting soup for chilly evenings.
This soup is incredible! So creamy and flavorful – I could eat it every day, especially with grilled cheese.