Description
This vibrant roasted red pepper soup combines the sweetness of roasted red peppers, onions, and carrots with warm spices for a comforting and flavorful meal. Finished with creamy natural yogurt and crispy homemade wholemeal croutons, this soup is perfect for a cozy lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 2 red onions, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots (250g), roughly chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 200g jarred roasted red peppers (drained weight), drained and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp rose harissa paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or any other chilli powder)
- 850ml low-salt vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp natural yogurt, to serve
Croutons
- 100g slightly stale wholemeal crusty bread, cut into cubes
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Blitz the onions and carrots together in a food processor until finely chopped, or finely chop by hand. If making the croutons, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and carrots with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently until they begin to soften.
- Add Garlic and Peppers: Stir in the chopped garlic and roasted red peppers, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add Spices: Mix in the rose harissa paste, cumin seeds, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to release the flavors.
- Simmer the Soup: Pour in the vegetable stock and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Make the Croutons: Toss the bread cubes with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Blend the Soup: Transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to a high-powered blender or use a hand blender to purée until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, dollop with natural yogurt, and scatter the crispy croutons on top.
Notes
- For a spicier soup, increase the amount of harissa paste or chilli powder according to taste.
- Use fresh roasted peppers if available, but jarred ones work perfectly.
- Natural yogurt can be substituted with vegan yogurt for a vegan option, although the recipe as given is vegetarian.
- Crispy croutons can be omitted for a gluten-free version; alternatively, use gluten-free bread.
- The soup can be made ahead and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: roasted red pepper soup, vegetable soup, healthy soup, homemade croutons, vegetarian soup, easy soup recipe
