Roasted Red Pepper Soup
This cold-weather meal is easy on the love handles! Roasted Red Pepper Soup offers big flavor without busting your newly-made resolution.
Let me guess… You are going to be nicer to your neighbor, spend more time with your kids, take a class at your local community college, and lose 10 pounds this year. Did I get it right???
We all tend to add a healthy objective to our list of new year’s resolutions. After two months of gorging ourselves on oven-baked dishes smothered in gravy, boxes of Christmas cookies, and hefty cheese platters, it’s time for a clean sweep.
A good veggie soup is a great thing to add to your new healthy routine.
Soup can fill you up, while making your meals substantially lighter in calories, fat and carbohydrates.
This roasted red pepper soup is gluten free, dairy free, low carb, low calorie and oh so delightful.
The vibrant sweet and tangy flavor of freshly roasted red peppers, combined with roasted garlic, herbs and a kick of spice make it extremely satisfying. Plus, it’s a great leftover to take to work for lunch. You’ll have jealous co-workers eagerly peeping over your cubical when they smell your creamy roasted red pepper soup.
You may need to make a double batch!
This particular Roasted Red Pepper Soup is one of my hubby’s favorite dishes. He has asked me to make it time and time again.
It always amazes me that a steak-sandwich-kind-of-guy could crave gluten free, meat free soup the way he does.
Yet after one taste, you’ll understand the appeal of this marvelous soup!
More Healthy Gluten Free Recipes:
Light and Creamy Asparagus Soup
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf ~ Jeanette’s Healthy Living
Polynesian Kebabs ~ Simply Gluten Free
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red bell peppers (8-10) halved and cleaned
- 5 cloves garlic in peel
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
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 foil lined, 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 15 minutes.
- Once the pepper skin has blackened, remove from the oven and place in a large zip bag to steam, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat a large heavy pot to medium heat. Add the oil, thyme, bay leaves, and onions. Cook for 10 minutes, until onions are soft.
- Add the broth, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels into the pot.
- Then peel the charred skin off each pepper half and place it in the pot.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and cook 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 blender, be sure to remove the plug on the lid and cover with a kitchen towel—this with allow the heat to vent without a big mess!
- Add the vinegar and salt again if needed.
- Serve with extra thyme leaves. In the photos I thinned out a little plain Greek yogurt with milk to make a fancy swirl on top. Pretty, but not necessary.
Nutrition
Just wish red peppers weren’t so expensive now!! Will have to wait for summer . . .
They are pricey in the winter, but I caught a sale, 2 for $1. You just have to have a keen eye in the produce department. ;)
I enjoy roasting peppers and make a soup similar to this one but serve it chilled in the Summer.
I’m going to try your version, love the way you show it served with a spinach salad;-)
Yep..totally pinned this. Looks wonderful!
Awesome recipe. I love the idea of broiling the peppers and garlic.
I love roasted red bell pepper soup…except mine is loaded with cream! I’m loving your healthy version…it looks amazing!
Oh Sommer! Yum!!! It wasn’t until I got older that I started to like bell peppers. Reds are my absolute favorite but I’ve never tried the soup. On my to do list!
Wow your soup looks amazing! Love this recipe! :)
I love red bell pepper soup! I like to make mine extra spicy, too. LOVE making soups this time of the year!
I’ve never had a red pepper soup before, but it looks delicious. Heck, if your meat-and-potatoes guy goes for it, it must be something. You need to add ‘bake more bread’ to my resolution list. :)
You forgot, “get some bills paid” Other than that…I think you got the resolution bases covered.
Beautiful photos! I always go for tomato soup and never red pepper. I have no idea why. This looks fantastic.
Um, I just died. SLURP!
I love making my own roasted peppers. It’s so easy and the flavor is much better than the jarred versions. Fantastic pictures!
I’m a big an of anything with roasted red peppers ; )
Looks delicious!
I also need to loose some pounds and still have some of my roasted pepper soup in the freezer. Thanks for the reminder!
Happy New Year.
Kirsten
Looks amazingly delicious and wholesome :) Perfect for this time of year! I have to say, love the hot sauce and rice vinegar in this!
Love handles are loving me! Too much…this soup is on my list.