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.
Baking Serendipity says
I love the bright green color of this soup! It looks perfect for late winter/early spring 🙂
Miri Leigh says
Looks wonderful. What a gorgeous color!
S @ extremebalance.net/blog says
Always with the to-die-for green foods! This is 100% my kind of soup... with several kicks of hot sauce, of course. Thanks for the idea, Kristina!
Jenn@slim-shoppin says
I"ve never heard of such a soup! It looks so pretty 🙂
What is with this cold weather? I'm done with winter
Dana says
This looks delicious! I can't wait to try this, but I don't have any almond milk on hand. Can I substitute it with something else?
Trudy ~ veggie num num says
Wow! The colour of this soup is amazing and I just love asparagus and spinach, yum yum!!
(what runs) Lori says
That looks ridiculous! Absolutely delicious!
I make a raw asparagus soup that is absolutely to (die) live for! Must make both... 😉
spabettie says
it IS ridiculous! 😉 I would LOVE to try your raw version - do you have it online? please share... 😀
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
ps: it is BEAUTIFUL!
spabettie says
thank yoooouuuu...
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
tell me more! i'm picky with soups --- do you LOVE IT love it , or just like it? I want to try this but my asparagus is precious to me! bahahaha! i trust you - give me the flavor deets! =)
spabettie says
well, if you're picky with soup maybe don't try it?? I love Love LOVE asparagus too... and I love this. I would hate to have you try it and not like it, then I'd feel bad and send you asparagus in the mail... 😉
Dinner at Christina's says
Mmm so bright and yummy looking!
spabettie says
thank you, Christina! it has pretty great flavors...