Roasted pepper bisque is a rich, brightly flavored soup with a whole food ingredient list and an easy method. Perfect for warm and cold weather, this tasty bisque is a perfect side or main.
recipe originally published March 24, 2011
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Why you'll love this recipe
A bowl of red pepper bisque is the comforting, full flavored soup to dip crusty bread or a grilled cheese.
This is an easy, approachable recipe using whole foods, like naturally sweet carrots to balance the grassy acidity of the pepper. Beans bring protein and the comforting creamy consistency, and roasted garlic and spices bring warm layers of flavor.
We love to serve this with a salad and a crusty baguette.
Soup vs bisque
This roasted pepper bisque recipe is my dairy free, seafood free, rich and creamy classic pepper bisque.
A bisque is French in origin and often defined as a process of cooking crustaceans in wine and cream. I learned from a culinary instructor in college that a bisque can be a creamy vegetable soup, like the tomato bisque we were learning to make that day.
Yes, I know tomatoes are classified as a fruit. Culinarily, I call them vegetables.
Merriam Webster defines a bisque as a thick cream soup made with shellfish, meat, or vegetables.
This easy recipe includes beans for more protein and to thicken this soup, in place of the starchy rice (puréed or strained) that traditionally makes it a bisque.
How long does roasted pepper soup last?
My rule for maximum flavor and freshness is to enjoy this red pepper soup within three days.
Cool completely and refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid.
Red pepper soup freezes well. Once the soup is cooled completely, transfer it to reusable freeze safe bags and store in the freezer until ready to use. Use frozen soup within two months.
Did you make this roasted pepper bisque?
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Roasted Pepper Bisque
A rich, brightly flavored soup with a whole food ingredient list and an easy method. Perfect for warm and cold weather, this tasty bisque is a perfect side or main.
Ingredients
Roasting vegetables
- 7 red, orange, and yellow bell peppers
- 3 large carrots
- 1 head garlic
Additional bisque ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large shallot, peeled and minced
- 15.5 ounces (1 can, or cooked from scratch) cannellini beans
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
Roast the vegetables
- Preheat oven to 400 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Wash the bell peppers and carefully slice them in half. Remove the seeds, stem and membranes from the pepper halves, and place each half side cut down on the baking sheet.
- Scrub and / or peel the carrots. Trim the tops from each carrot, and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add these carrot pieces to the baking sheet with the peppers.
- Carefully slice a small portion (¼ inch or less) from the top of a whole garlic bulb. Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to fully wrap around the garlic bulb. Place the garlic bulb cut side up in the middle of the foil. Drizzle garlic bulb with olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic bulb, covering completely. Add this to the baking sheet with the peppers and carrots.
- Transfer the peppers, carrots, and garlic to the 400 °F oven and roast for 30 minutes until the peppers are charred and the carrots are softened.
- Once roasted, set peppers, carrots, and garlic aside to cool. Once peppers are cool enough to touch, remove most of the charred skin.
Cook the soup
- While the vegetables roast, prep the remaining ingredients.
- Peel and dice the onion. Peel and mince the shallot.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and minced shallot and sauté until softened and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Once cooled enough to touch, unwrap the garlic from the foil. Squeeze the roasted cloves from their skins into the sautéed onion and shallot.
- Add the roasted peppers and carrots. Add the cooked beans, paprika, cayenne, pepper and salt. Stir to combine and coat everything in the spices. Sauté one more minute, and add the vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup into a smooth consistency. You can also use a blender, carefully transferring (in batches if needed) to a blender jar and blending until smooth.
- Serve immediately with crusty baguette and a salad.
Notes
What is a bisque?
This roasted pepper bisque recipe is my dairy free, seafood free, rich and creamy classic pepper bisque.
A bisque is often defined as French in origin, and a process of cooking crustaceans in wine and cream. I learned from a culinary instructor in college that a bisque can be a creamy vegetable soup, like the tomato bisque we were learning to make that day.
Yes, I know tomatoes are classified as a fruit. Culinarily, I call them vegetables.
Merriam Webster defines a bisque as a thick cream soup made with shellfish, meat, or vegetables.
This easy recipe includes beans for more protein and to thicken this soup, in place of the starchy rice (puréed or strained) that traditionally makes it a bisque.
How long does roasted pepper soup last?
My rule for maximum flavor and freshness is to enjoy this red pepper soup within three days.
Cool completely and refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid.
Red pepper soup freezes well. Once the soup is cooled completely, transfer it to reusable freeze safe bags and store in the freezer until ready to use. Use frozen soup within two months.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 2gSodium: 421mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 6g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Kath (My Funny Little Life) says
Okay, this is totally my soup! Bookmarked! 😀 😀 😀 Now I just have to wait for green asparagus coming to the grocery store ...
spabettie says
I hope you see good asparagus soon! ours keeps getting better - slim and fresh, YUM!
Dorry says
Beautiful green! I'm not a fan of asparagus, but I bet I could sub something else. And I do love bell peppers!
spabettie says
but no GREEN bell peppers, right? 🙂
Dorry says
you remembered! now THAT is true friendship.
Lisa says
This looks AMAZING. I love how colorful the green is. Asparagus is my favorite veggie. I will definitely be making this one!
spabettie says
I love asparagus too... I hope you like it! 🙂
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss says
why do I wanna go all Harry Potter on you and call that last picture "The Leaky Cauldron?" 😉
spabettie says
ha! I know, it's kinda random but I really liked it... 🙂
Jessica @ Dairy Free Betty says
This is just SO beautiful and I LOVE asparagas!!
spabettie says
thanks, Jess! asparagus is my favorite!
Theresa @ActiveEggplant says
Mmmmmm - I love asparagus soups! This one will definitely be added to my "must try" list. (This list is getting a lot bigger thanks to you - guess i better get crackin!)
spabettie says
aw, thanks Theresa - I love hearing that! and yep - get crackin' - I want to hear what you like! also, pet the Long Dog for me! 😀
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
Looks so fresh and creamy. Love that it looks like spring too.
spabettie says
yes... me too! until spring arrives, this is what I do! 😀
Holly @ The Runny Egg says
This looks delicious -- and I love that there aren't a ton of seasonings - the veggies can just speak for themselves!
spabettie says
yep - very simple ingredients, and the pepper juice adds great flavor!
Tiffany @ Simply Shaka says
I've never had an asparagus based soup before but I can't imagine it not being tasty!!
spabettie says
if you like asparagus... 😀 hope you + Lincoln are having a GREAT vacation!!
JL goes Vegan says
Oh, I love this idea of using pepper juice! Yum!
spabettie says
it adds great flavor...