A bowl of this Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup is perfect for a crisp fall or 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 this satisfying soup with cheese straws or grilled cheese!
Most of my recipes on this blog are inspired by family recipes or my travels. But, this one is inspired by my favorite soup from Trader Joe's.
I love the Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup at Trader Joe's. I always add my own little twist to it by adding garlic, red pepper flakes, a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar, and roasted cumin, and simmer it for 5-7 minutes.
We enjoy it so much that I decided to create a 'lighter' homemade version that would be just as rich and creamy, minus the calories. So here it is, hope you love this roasted red pepper and tomato soup recipe as much as we do!
You might also like: 17 Easy Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
This soup comes together with just a handful of everyday ingredients. Let's take a look at what you need to make roasted pepper and tomato soup:
Roasted Red Peppers: The star is the show, they're low in calories, about 30 calories in ½ a cup, and rich in Vitamin A, B6, C, and E. I roast them in the oven when I have the time (instructions included), or use a jar of fire-roasted bell peppers that are ready to go.
Note: When using jarred peppers, I give them a quick rinse to wash off the brine and excess salt.
Tomatoes: Pick ripe tomatoes and remove the seeds to maximize sweetness and reduce acidity. Roma, plum, or wine tomatoes work equally well. Alternatively, use a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes.
Flavor Tip: To enhance the smoky flavor of this soup, add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead.
Aromatics: Onion, crushed ginger and garlic add flavor and warmth to the soup. Use red, white, or yellow onion. You can use fresh ginger paste and garlic paste or use frozen cubes that are easily available in most supermarkets.
Carrots: Carrots add more body to the soup and add a natural sweetness that balances the smokiness of the roasted red peppers, and the acidity from the tomatoes.
Oil: A tiny splash of olive oil adds a subtle richness and flavor. Avocado oil is a great substitute.
Spices: Besides salt and pepper, I add red pepper flakes for a little kick, Italian seasoning, paprika, and roasted cumin for flavor.
- Feel free to skip or reduce the pepper based on your spice preference.
- Italian seasoning can be substituted with a combination of dried basil and oregano.
- You can make roasted cumin at home, or buy a small jar from the store. It adds a wonderful sweet-smoky flavor. Regular cumin will also work.
For Finishing: A tiny splash of balsamic vinegar adds a sweet-tangy flavor. You can use apple cider vinegar as well. If the soup tastes more acidic due to the tomatoes, you can cut that with ½-1 teaspoon of agave or honey.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Roast Red Peppers in the Oven
Slice the red peppers in half, de-seed, then rub them with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place them on a lined baking sheet and roast in a pre-heated oven at 400°F for about 30 minutes.
Once done, cool them for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a bowl or gallon size ziplock bag and seal it. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. That traps all the steam in the bag, causing the skin to separate from the peppers.
After 10 minutes, remove them from the bag and peel off the skin using a kitchen towel.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup in Instant Pot
Saute aromatics: Preheat the Instant Pot on Saute (high). Saute onions, ginger, and garlic in olive oil for a minute. Cancel Saute.
Add Ingredients: Add roughly chopped and deseeded tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes), carrots, and roasted red peppers. Keep aside ½ teaspoon of roasted ground cumin for garnish, and add the rest of the spices, along with water.
Pressure Cook: Close the lid, set the vent to sealing position and set 'Soup' or 'Pressure cook' for 6 minutes at high pressure.
Release Pressure: After pressure cooking, carefully release the pressure manually. Open the lid after the pin drops and all pressure is released.
Blend: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, till smooth and creamy in texture. If blending this soup in a regular blender like Blendtec, wait for the soup to cool down.
Finish and serve: Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin. Check for seasoning and depending on how acidic your tomatoes are add a teaspoon of honey (or agave) and stir. That's it! Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup is ready.
Stovetop Recipe
Heat a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add olive oil, chopped onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute for 45 seconds to a minute.
Add chopped tomatoes, carrots, and roasted red peppers. Keep aside ½ 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. Turn off the heat.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, till smooth and creamy in texture.
Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin, and a touch of honey to balance the acidity of the tomatoes (optional).
Serving Suggestion
Even though this soup doesn't need any garnishes, my kids love grating some parmesan cheese into their bowls. My husband always adds a dash of hot sauce to his bowl.
This soup also goes well with a side of Cheese straws, or Garlic Bread.
Grilled cheese sandwiches and breadsticks are some other popular pairings with this soup.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Make it with Pantry Ingredients: To make this soup from pantry ingredients, use 1 jar of roasted red peppers and a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.
- Enhance the 'smoky' flavor: Use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes to enhance the smoky flavor of the soup.
- Roasting red pepper: To roast red peppers in the oven, slice them in half, deseed 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 detailed instructions above on how to remove their skin.
- Make it Vegan: To make this soup vegan, you can skip the parmesan cheese and use any shredded vegan cheese.
- Blending Safety: If blending this soup in a regular blender like Blendtec, wait for the soup to cool down before blending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect combination with tomato soup.
Yes, red peppers are extremely healthy. They're low in calories and carbs as well. It contains about 30 calories in ½ a cup and is rich in Vitamin A, B6, C, and E.
Roasting peppers adds a smoky flavor and brings out the natural sugars in peppers, making them sweeter.
Yes, canned roasted peppers are great for when you don't have the time to make them from scratch.
Roasting the peppers gets rid of the slightly bitter aftertaste you get from undercooked peppers. If your soup tastes bitter, drizzle in some balsamic vinegar and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
These recipes are part of the Easy Soup Recipes Collection:
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Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic cloves crushed
- 3 teaspoon 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 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning I used 21 salute seasoning from Trader Joe's
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon roasted ground cumin can use regular cumin too
Add after Pressure Cooking
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon roasted ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey or 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 a minute. Cancel Saute.
- Add roughly chopped and deseeded tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes), carrots, and roasted red peppers. Keep aside ½ teaspoon of roasted ground cumin for garnish, and add the rest of the spices, along with water.
- Close the lid and set the vent to sealing position. Pressure cook on ‘Soup’ or ‘Pressure cook’ for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- After pressure cooking, carefully release the pressure manually. 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 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 and add a dash of honey (or agave) if the tomatoes are acidic.
Stovetop recipe
- Heat a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add olive oil, chopped onions, crushed ginger, and garlic. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes, carrots, and roasted red peppers. Keep aside ½ 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.
- Add balsamic vinegar and roasted ground cumin. Depending on how acidic your tomatoes are, stir in a teaspoon of honey or agave.
Notes
- Make it with Pantry Ingredients: To make this soup from pantry ingredients, use 1 jar of roasted red peppers and a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.
- How to roast red pepper: To roast red peppers in the oven, slice them in half, deseed 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 detailed instructions above on how to remove their skin.
- Make it Vegan: To make this soup vegan, you can skip the parmesan cheese and use any shredded vegan cheese.
- Blending Safety: If blending this soup in a regular blender like Blendtec, wait for the soup to cool down before blending.
Tammy Schick says
Why quantity do you use for a serving? Is it a cup? I’m going to make this for a group and need to fill a crockpot. I’ve made it before and loved it, but don’t recall how much it made :/
Thanks in advance!
Aneesha says
Hi Tammy, thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this soup 🙂 This quantity should make 4 cups. Enjoy!