I grew up with bell pepper in the house every single time. My mother grew bell peppers in her greenhouse outback. The sight of the different colored peppers was such a treat to the eyes.
The downside of having too many bell peppers around me then was that we had it almost every week for meals. This got a bit too much for me as a child until I almost resented the bell pepper.
One day, I told my mom that I never wanted to eat bell pepper anymore because I was so sick of it. She told me to give it one last chance. My poor mother probably chuckled and thought that I was in for a big surprise.
I went down after studying and smelled smokiness around the house. It wasn’t alarming in a scary way but it smelled so good. When I got to the kitchen, we had just begun peeling the charred skin of what looked like bell peppers. She cooked the peppers in a lot of water and spices then turned it into a soup puree.
And that was that. I ate my words and never followed what I had told her, that I would never eat bell pepper again. This, my friends, is now my favorite food of all time.
Is roasted bell pepper soup Keto-friendly?
Roasted bell pepper soup is the kindest dish to anyone, most especially our vegans, vegetarians and friends on Keto.
This dish is purely made out of plant-based ingredients with zero carbohydrates. It’s a good way to fill your appetite without having to worry about the extra calories.
However, there is an option to thicken your roasted bell pepper soup. It’s either you add a cornstarch slurry or lentils which won’t make the soup Keto friendly anymore.
What does roasted bell pepper soup taste like?
Roasted bell pepper soup tastes like summer in soup form. It has this sweet, delicate flavor from the pepper itself and it complemented by the sour note of red wine vinegar. The consistency could be from thick to runny, depending on what you fancy.
The best part of this summery soup is the charred flavor of the pepper. Charring the pepper’s skin pronounces the sweetness of the bell pepper even more. It brings out flavors of the pepper that you’ve never experienced before.
How to make roasted bell pepper soup
You can get quite creative in making your roasted bell pepper soup.
Find a tool that can help you roast your bell pepper to a charred crisp outside. You may use an oven, a stovetop, a grill or even a torch. The idea is to blacken the skin of the pepper enough for the juices inside to separate from the pepper meat. This brings out the flavors that you need in the soup.
Once you’re done charring the peppers, one small tip is to place them in a bowl and immediately cover them with cling film while they’re hot. This will allow the heat to steam the peppers within the bowl and the skin will separate from the pepper meat. It’s easier to remove and clean.
Peel the skin off. Be careful to remove the charred skin because the blackened skin might stick to the meat. That wouldn’t be a problem but just don’t like too much of the skin stay.
In a pot, lightly sauté the peppers, garlic and onion with olive oil until it sizzles. When the vegetables are extra tender, add in the red lentils, water and vegetable bullion. Stir then let simmer for 10 minutes under medium heat. Once done, blend the vegetables with a stick blender or a stand-up blender. The point is to puree the vegetables.
Add your spices to taste!
How to thicken roasted pepper soup
Earlier, we mentioned being able to eat roasted pepper soup with a thick or runny consistency. This all depends on your personal preference. If you wish to eat your soup cold, I would suggest not adding thickening agents to your soup. After you cook the soup, chill and eat cold. Those are best for warm days.
If you do, however, want a warmer, heartier roasted bell pepper soup, you could different options to do so.
Here are three options to choose from:
- Add cornstarch slurry to the simmering soup. This will definitely thicken your soup in no time.
- Add leftover bread to the vegetable stock before you blend the soup.
- Add a neutral-tasting legume to thicken, such as lentils.
Can roasted pepper soup be frozen?
Most soups can be made ahead of time, frozen and thawed out whenever you get hungry. We love meal prep! We highly suggest doing this most especially if you’re trying to salvage a huge amount of bell peppers that are almost ready to rot. This is actually a very good way to utilize your vegetables.
As I mentioned earlier, you may eat your roasted bell pepper cold if you wish. If you wish to thicken your soup, then you may add your thickener when you thaw out a portion.
What to serve with roasted pepper soup
Roasted bell pepper soup is best eaten with any kind of bread. It’s nice to pair this delicate soup with sourdough or even nice warm pita bread so you have the option of dipping your bread into the soup. That delicious piece of soaked bread elevates the roasted bell pepper soup experience, 100%!
Roasted Bell Pepper Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 red bell pepper
- 4 garlic
- 1 red onion
- ½ cup red lentils dry uncooked
- 1 ½ vegetable bullion
- 2 cup water
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tbsp paprika powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- chili powder to taste
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 525F (275C),
- Split the bell pepper, onion and garlic.
- Lay them down on an oven tray and add olive oil to them. Add lots of paprika powder.
- Roast in the oven until the bell pepper skin starts to get color. Remove the tray.
- Peel the bell pepper.
- Add all the vegetables in a pot along with olive oil. Let it fizz while you stir.
- Add the red lentils, water and vegetable bullion.
- Stir and let it cook on middle heat for 5-10 mintues.
- Blend the soup with a stick blender.
- Add chili powder, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. You can eat it now or let it cook for another 5 minutes.
Tips
- Add water if you want the soup to be thinner, or let it cook if you want it to be thicker.
- Garnish with crispy bacon and pumpkin seeds.
- Serve with tasty bread.
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