A bowl of this creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tomato soup is perfect for a cold winter evening. Packed with flavor and nutrients, this healthy, gluten-free & vegan soup is ready to eat in 20 minutes. Make it in your Instant Pot or stove, and enjoy the flavors of Fall in a bowl!
Inspiration for this Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe
Most of my recipes on this blog are inspired by family recipes or my travels. This one is inspired by my favorite soup from Trader Joe's.
I love the Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup at Trader Joe's. We've been enjoying it for years now. But I always add my own little twist to it.
I heat up some crushed garlic in olive oil, add the soup, bring it to a boil, add red pepper flakes, a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar and roasted cumin, and simmer it for 5-7 minutes. It just takes this already tasty soup to another level of flavor-town.
We enjoy it so much that I decided to create an easy homemade version that would be just as rich and creamy, minus the calories. So here it is, hope you love it as much as we do!
You might also like: 11 Easy Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Ingredients for Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
This soup comes together with just a handful of everyday ingredients. In this recipe, roasted red peppers and tomatoes are the two show-stoppers.
I like to add carrots to add more body to the soup and they also add a natural sweetness that balances the smokiness of the roasted red peppers, and the acidity from the tomatoes.
Roasted Red Peppers - Low in Calories, Rich in Antioxidants
Red bell peppers are a part of the capsicum family. They are crisp, sweet and very versatile. I love adding them to salads, sauces, soups, stews and stir-frys. They are low in calories, about 30 calories in 1/2 a cup, and, rich in Vitamin A, B6, C and E, which makes them perfect for a healthy diet.
For this soup, I roast them in the oven sometimes, and other-times, I use a jar of fire-roasted bell peppers that are ready to go. I've made this soup alternating between the two, and the result is the same incredible taste.
So, in the end my choice depends on how much time I have. No doubt, opening a jar is way faster than roasting them in the oven 🙂 When using jarred peppers, I give them a quick rinse to wash off the brine and excess salt.
How to Roast Red Peppers in the Oven
I slice the red peppers in half, de-seed them and rub them with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Then, I place them on a lined baking sheet and roast them in a pre-heated oven at 400°F, for about 30 minutes.
Once done, I cool the roasted red peppers for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a gallon size ziplock bag and seal it. I leave it aside for 10 minutes. Since the peppers are hot when you seal the bag, it traps all the steam in the bag, causing the skin to separate from the peppers.
After 10 minutes, I remove them from the bag and peel off the skin. It comes off very easily. You can do the same process in a bowl with a tight lid on.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup in an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
✓ Turn Instant Pot on Saute, high. Wait for it to display 'Hot'. Add olive oil, chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 45 seconds-1 minute.
✓ Turn off Saute. Add roughly chopped and de-seeded tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes), carrots and roasted red peppers. Keep aside 1/2 teaspoon of roasted ground cumin for garnish, and add the rest of the spices, along with water. Close lid. Turn pressure knob to 'Sealing' position in DUO. Pressure cook on 'Soup' or 'Pressure cook' for 6 minutes.
✓ After pressure cooking, carefully release the pressure manually (QR). In DUO, do that by turning the knob to 'Venting' position, and in ULTRA, push down the pressure release button. Open the lid after the pin drops and all pressure is released.
✓ Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, till smooth and creamy in texture. You can customize the consistency based on your preference. You can also do this in a regular blender like Blendtec, but you'll have to wait for the soup to cool down a bit before that.
✓ Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin. Check for seasoning. Now depending on how acidic your tomatoes are, add a teaspoon of agave and stir. That's it! Soup is ready!
Stovetop Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup Recipe
✓ Heat a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add olive oil, chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 45 seconds-1 minute.
✓ Add chopped tomatoes, carrots and roasted red peppers. Keep aside 1/2 teaspoon of roasted ground cumin for later, and add the rest of the spices, along with 4 cups of water (1 cup extra than the Instant Pot recipe). Stir and bring to a boil. Cover the pot. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or till carrots turn tender.
✓ Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, till smooth and creamy in texture. You can customize the consistency based on your preference.
✓ Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin. Check for seasoning. Now depending on how acidic your tomatoes are, add a teaspoon of agave and stir. Done!
Serving Suggestion for this Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Even though this soup doesn't need any garnishes, my kids' love grating some parmesan cheese to their bowls. My husband always adds a dash of hot sauce to his bowl, and me, I just love it as it is! But we all love it with some Cheese straws.
I have a real easy recipe for cheese straws using store-bought pastry dough, I'll add that soon.
Grilled cheese sandwiches, garlic bread and bread sticks are some other popular pairings with this soup.
Make this Soup with Pantry Ingredients
When I was developing this recipe, I wanted it to be versatile enough to get the same taste with pantry ingredients. So, I made it a couple of times using a jar of fire roasted red peppers and canned diced tomatoes one time, and fire roasted tomatoes with green chillies another time. The soup tasted amazing.
if you don't have frozen crushed garlic and ginger, you can use dried versions of those and it'll still taste great. So, you see how you can whip this up in no time, without a trip to the grocery store. Serve it with your favorite crackers and enjoy a warm and cozy meal in 20 minutes.
More Instant Pot SOUP Recipes (stove recipe included)
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Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup (Instant Pot & Stove)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tsp garlic cloves crushed
- 3 tsp ginger 1 inch ginger
- 3 medium tomatoes de-seeded and roughly chopped (or 15 oz can diced tomatoes)
- 2 roasted red peppers (1 jar, rinsed)
- 2 carrots chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 cups water
Spices
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning I used 21 salute seasoning from Trader Joe's
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin can use regular cumin too
Add after Pressure Cooking
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin
- 1 tsp agave adjust based on acidity of tomatoes
Instructions
Instant Pot Recipe
- Turn Instant Pot on Saute, high. Wait for it to display 'Hot'. Add olive oil, chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 45 seconds-1 minute.
- Turn off Saute on instant pot. Add roughly chopped and de-seeded tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes), carrots and roasted red peppers. Keep aside 1/2 teaspoon of roasted ground cumin for garnish, and add the rest of the spices, along with water. Close lid. Turn pressure knob to ‘Sealing’ position in DUO. Pressure cook on ‘Soup’ or ‘Pressure cook’ for 6 minutes.
- After pressure cooking, carefully release the pressure manually (QR). In DUO, do that by turning the knob to ‘Venting’ position, and in ULTRA, push down the pressure release button. Open the lid after the pin drops and all pressure is released.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, till smooth and creamy in texture. You can customize the consistency based on your preference. You can also do this in a regular blender like Blendtec, but you’ll have to wait for the soup to cool down a bit before that.
- Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin. Check for seasoning. Now depending on how acidic your tomatoes are, add a teaspoon of agave and stir. That’s it! Soup is ready!
Stovetop recipe
- Heat a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add olive oil, chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 45 seconds-1 minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes, carrots and roasted red peppers. Keep aside 1/2 teaspoon of roasted ground cumin for later, and add the rest of the spices, along with 4 cups of water (1 cup extra than the Instant Pot recipe). Stir and bring to a boil. Cover the pot. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or till carrots turn tender.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, till smooth and creamy in texture. You can customize the consistency based on your preference.
- Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin. Check for seasoning. Now depending on how acidic your tomatoes are, add a teaspoon of agave and stir.
Notes & Recipe Tips
- The total time is based on using jarred roasted red peppers.
- To make this soup from pantry ingredients, use 1 jar of roasted red peppers and a 15 oz can of dices tomatoes.
- To roast red peppers in the oven, slice them in half, de-seed them and rub them with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Then, place them on a lined baking sheet and roast them in a pre-heated oven at 400°F, for about 30 minutes. See instructions above on how to remove their skin.
- This soup pairs great with grilled cheese sandwiches, garlic bread and cheese straws.
- Possible garnishes are grated parmesan cheese, hot sauce and chopped parsley.
- To make this soup vegan, you can skip the parmesan cheese and use any shredded vegan cheese.
- If you are new to the Instant Pot, please read my FAQ on Instant Pot Terminology and Accessories to learn more.
