Quick tomato soup has always been one of my favorite comfort foods, and this time I upped the game by adding a jar of smoky roasted red peppers and a butter-and-flour roux to give the soup extra body and richness. I just love the simplicity of this Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. All you need is a loaf of crusty French bread for dipping and you’ve got a simple, yet luxurious meal. #treatyourself

Originally posted 3/22/2016, updated 3/5/2022.

Make it Creamy, or Not

The first time I made this roasted red pepper soup I finished it off with a cup of milk to make it creamy. But honestly, I tasted it before the milk and it was still a really bangin’ soup, so I decided to keep it simple. If you do want an extra creamy soup, simply add a cup of whole milk or a splash of heavy cream at the end. Do not let the soup boil after adding milk, as that can cause it to curdle.

What to Serve With Roasted Red Pepper Soup

You definitely want some sort of crusty bread, Homemade Croutons, Grilled Cheese, or Pesto Cheese Toast to dip into this awesome soup (pictured with plain pesto smeared toast). A really light and simple side salad would also be a nice way to round out this meal. If you want to get really fancy, you can drizzle a little bit of olive oil or pesto over each bowl of soup for extra color and flavor.

To make pesto toast, just mixed a little extra olive oil into the pesto to make it more spreadable, coated slices of my French bread, then baked at 400ºF for 7-8 minutes.

A ladle full of roasted red pepper soup being lifted from the pot

Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Smoky roasted red peppers, tangy tomatoes, plus a simple roux turn this simple roasted red pepper soup into a rich and flavorful soup!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.41 recipe / $1.10 serving

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 1.25 cups each

Calories 134kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 yellow onion $0.32
4 cloves garlic $0.32
2 Tbsp butter $0.22
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.02
1 12oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained $1.99
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes $1.19
1/2 tsp dried basil $0.05
1/4 tsp dried thyme $0.02
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
2 cups vegetable broth $0.26

Instructions

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a soup pot with the butter and sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.
Add the flour to the pot with the onions and garlic. Continue to sauté for about two minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture to a blender and add the roasted red peppers (drained). Purée until smooth.
Transfer the red pepper purée back to the soup pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, thyme, pepper, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any flour left on the bottom of the pot.
Heat the soup over medium and allow it to come up to a simmer. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Taste the soup and add salt or other seasonings to your liking. The amount of salt needed will depend on the salt content of your broth. I did not add any additional salt. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Soup – Step by Step Photos

Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a soup pot with 2 Tbsp butter and sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.

Once the onions have softened, add 2 Tbs of all-purpose flour and continue to sauté for about two minutes.

Transfer the onion mixture to a blender and add one drained 12oz. jar of roasted red peppers.

Purée the peppers and onions together until smooth.

Transfer the roasted red pepper mixture back to the pot. Add one 28oz. can crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tsp dried basil, ¼ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and 2 cups vegetable broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any flour left on the bottom of the pot.

Heat the soup over medium, allowing it to come up to a simmer. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Finally, taste the soup and add salt or other seasonings to your liking (You may or may not need to add salt at the end depending on the salt content of your broth. I did not add any.)