- September 23, 2020
- Appetizers
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
This roasted red pepper tomato soup is velvety, slightly smoky, and layered with rich roasted flavors that feel comforting yet fresh. It’s the perfect cozy bowl to enjoy with a grilled cheese or pot pie style topping.
If you love a warm bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, this roasted red pepper tomato soup gives you both in one dish. Fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, onion, and garlic roast together until they turn sweet and slightly charred, then blend into a smoky, creamy soup. Add the optional puff pastry topping, and you get a single-serving pot pie that tastes like your favorite soup and sandwich combo baked into one bowl.
Why This Recipe Works
- Roasting the vegetables first brings out natural sweetness and deep flavor that boiling or simmering alone cannot match.
- Blending everything with an immersion blender keeps the process simple, with only one pot to clean.
- Heavy cream and parmesan are optional, so you can make the soup lighter or richer depending on what you want.
- The puff pastry pot pie topping turns a basic soup into a shareable, restaurant-style dish with almost no extra effort.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Vegetables: Fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, a yellow onion, and a whole head of garlic. If fresh tomatoes are out of season, canned fire-roasted tomatoes are a good stand-in.
Pantry Staples: Olive oil, tomato paste, and chicken or vegetable stock. Use vegetable stock to keep the soup vegetarian.
Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, and optional red pepper flakes for heat.
For Creaminess: Heavy cream and finely grated Parmesan to make the soup rich and velvety (it also helps cut some of the acidity in the soup). Both are optional if you want a lighter, dairy-free soup.
Pot Pie Topping (optional): Shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese, a sheet of thawed puff pastry, an egg for egg wash, butter, garlic, and fresh parsley for garnish.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
Roast the vegetables Preheat your oven to 425°F. Arrange the halved tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic on a 9×13 inch pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and lightly charred. Let everything rest for 15 minutes before blending.
Blend the soup Remove the garlic cloves from the roasted bulb. Transfer the roasted vegetables and their pan juices to a large pot. Add the tomato paste and stock, then puree with an immersion blender until smooth. A regular blender works too, just blend in batches and be careful with hot liquid.
Simmer and season Set the pot over medium heat and bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese if using. This step adds richness, but the soup is still good without it.
Turn It Into a Roasted Tomato Soup Pot Pie
This step is what makes the recipe feel special. It takes a familiar soup and dresses it up with a golden, flaky crust, kind of like grilled cheese and tomato soup baked into one bowl.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Ladle the soup into an individual oven-safe crock or large ramekin, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons each of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the soup. Cut a piece of thawed, very cold puff pastry slightly larger than the opening of your ramekin. Lay it over the top and press or crimp the edges. Brush with egg wash.
Set the ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet in case the soup bubbles over. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and puffed. While it bakes, combine melted butter and minced garlic. Brush the warm pastry with the garlic butter, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve right away. Let it cool for a minute before digging in, since the soup underneath stays very hot.
Tips and Variations
- Canned fire roasted tomatoes work well in place of fresh, especially outside of tomato season.
- Add a can of drained white beans to the soup for extra protein and a heartier bowl.
- Swap the smoked paprika or red pepper flakes for extra heat, or leave them out for a milder soup.
- Skip the heavy cream and parmesan to keep the soup dairy free without losing the roasted flavor.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
What to Pair With Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
- A classic grilled cheese sandwich for dipping
- Warm, crusty bread or garlic bread focaccia
- A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette
- Croutons or extra parmesan sprinkled on top for texture
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Canned fire-roasted tomatoes work well when fresh tomatoes are not in season. Drain excess liquid before roasting or add them straight into the pot during the blending step.
Yes. The heavy cream and parmesan are both optional. The soup still has a rich, smoky flavor from the roasted vegetables without them.
Reheat it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave it in short bursts, stirring in between.
Yes. Let the soup cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Pie crust or biscuit dough can work in place of puff pastry, though the bake time may need to be adjusted until the topping is fully cooked through and golden.
If you try this roasted red pepper tomato soup, I would love to hear how it turns out. Leave a comment and a rating below, and let me know if you went with the classic bowl or the puff pastry topping.
More Recipes To Try
Oven Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce
Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta Fagioli
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 lb Fresh Tomatoes cored and halved
- 3 Red Bell Peppers quartered and seeds removed
- 1 large Yellow Onion quartered
- 1 head Garlic trim just the top so the cloves are exposed
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Smoky Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes optional
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 1/3 cup Heavy Cream optional
- 1/4 cup Finely Grated Parmesan optional
Single Serving Pot Pie Topping (Optional)
- 2 tbsp Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 piece of thawed Puff Pastry (cut to be slightly larger than your ramekin)
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tbsp Butter melted
- 1 clove Garlic finely minced
- Fresh Parsley garnish
Instructions
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
- Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange the halved and cored tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic on a 9×13 inch pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, until softened and lightly charred. Let rest 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup: Remove the garlic cloves from the roasted bulb. Transfer the roasted vegetables and pan juices to a large pot. Add the tomato paste and stock. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, or blend in batches in a regular blender. Be careful when blending hot liquid.
- Simmer and season: Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, if using.
Optional Tomato Soup Pot Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Ladle the prepared soup into an individual oven-safe soup crock or large ramekin, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top to prevent overflowing.
- Sprinkle two tablespoons each of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese evenly over the soup.
- Cut a piece of thawed (but very cold) puff pastry slightly larger than the opening of the ramekin. Place it over the top and gently press or crimp the pastry around the outer edge of the dish. Brush the pastry with egg wash.
- Place the ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any soup that may bubble over. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is deeply golden brown, puffed, and crisp.
- Combine the melted butter and garlic. Brush the warm puff pastry with the garlic butter, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately. Be careful when breaking into the pastry, as the soup underneath will be very hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Very delicious and surprisingly filling. Looks fancy when served. Certainly an elevated version of tomato soup. Loved using our fresh produce for this.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and leaving feedback! 🙂