In my world soup must have two things: the soup itself must be full of flavor and topped with garnishes that are not only beautiful to look at but are a complement to the soup. This roasted red pepper tomato bisque – a creamy soup thickened with a little flour – is delicious all on its own, but it’s the homemade croutons with blue cheese crumbles that really makes it special.
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque
Hello, New Year! How’d you get here so fast?
I thought I’d start the New Year with soup. Simple, timeless, and tasty. Oh, and comforting – for me, there’s nothing more soothing than a warm bowl of creamy soup. Especially this time of year after all of the holiday hustle and bustle has faded and we’re left with holiday decorations to pack up, a house to get back in order, and jobs to return to here in just a few days. Its sort of a melancholy time and soup goes well with that, especially a roasted red pepper tomato bisque that’s garnished with homemade croutons and blue cheese crumbles.
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
- Jarred roasted red peppers: I love a short-cut and jarred roasted red peppers make this soup very easy to make. You can roast your own in a hot oven like a reader who made this recipe details in the comment section of this post.
- Whole plum tomatoes: I like to use San Marzano tomatoes, which are tomatoes grown in the San Marzano region of Italy. The tomatoes are revered for their flavor and sweetness. I figure if I’m going to make the effort to use homemade soup using the best tomatoes, even if they are a few bucks more a can, is worth it. But, be aware: there are many “knock-off” brands that use phrases like “San Marzano-style” or are just flat out fakes. Cans of genuine San Marzano tomatoes are marked with “Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese Nocerino D.O.P.”
- Vegetable stock: I used regular stock and you’ll notice there’s no added salt in the soup. If you use low-sodium vegetable stock or broth be sure to taste-test the soup and add additional salt, as needed.
- Fresh thyme and parsley
- French bread: I like to make my own croutons because 1) they don’t take long at all to make and 2) they’re softer than the ones sold at the grocery store. Plus, making your own means you can customize them to your taste by tossing them with different spices and seasonings.
- Blue Cheese Crumbles: I love the tangy blue cheese crumbles with the creamy soup.
- Heavy Cream: Right at the end, after the soup has simmered and before it’s served, add the cream. It gives the soup its velvety texture and helps balance all the acidity from the tomatoes and peppers. If you want to make the soup ahead to serve later, be sure to freeze the soup without the cream. To reheat, just gently warm the soup on the stove and stir the cream before serving and top with the garnishes.
More Comforting Soups
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Salsa Verde Taco Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup
- French Onion Soup
- 14 Cozy Fall Soup Recipes
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A creamy roasted red pepper and tomato bisque garnished with croutons and blue cheese crumbles.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 tablespoons of flour
- 1 (28) ounce can whole plum tomatoes
- 12-ounce jar whole roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley, plus more chopped for garnish
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup cream
For the Garnish
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 thick slices French bread cut into medium-sized cubes
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften about 5-10 minutes. Add the flour to the vegetables and stir. Add the red peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Break up the tomatoes with a spatula and let it all cook together for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring the pot to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a separate pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the smashed garlic and let it cook for a few minutes in the oil (keep it moving around the pan). After a couple of minutes, transfer the garlic to the other pot with the soup, reserving the oil.
- Add the bread cubes to the pan and toss to coat them in the oil. Season them with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Toast the cubes in the pan for just a few minutes. Keep a close eye on them because they can burn easily. Once toasted, remove the croutons from the pan and set aside.
- Once the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, remove the parsley, thyme stems, and bay leaf. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or stand blender. Wipe out the stockpot and pour the soup back into the pot through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids. Reheat the soup over medium heat. Once warmed, add the cream.
- Top each serving with the croutons, blue cheese crumbles, and chopped parsley.
Notes
The soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the soup without the cream. Once the soup is strained, transfer it to freezer containers. To serve, gently reheat the soup on the stove. Add the cream, garnishes, and serve.
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 551
- Fat: 43.6g
- Carbohydrates: 34.3g
- Fiber: 7.2g
- Protein: 10.9g
Keywords: roasted red pepper tomato bisque, roasted red pepper soup
Amanda says
Roasted red pepper soup from a local restaurant is my husband’s favorite. Due to restaurants being closed, I decided to try this recipe. It was a hit…I did make the croutons but didn’t add blue cheese as we don’t like it and it wasn’t needed. Will make this again!
★★★★★
April Anderson says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me and sharing your rating!
Sarah says
I was trying to find a recipe that was similar to a local restaurant’s roasted red pepper tomato soup and this was pretty much it! It was easily adaptable to a slow cooker – I just put everything in (other than cream but added the garlic and olive oil) and cooked on high for 3-ish hours until the veggies were soft. I also stirred the flour into the melted butter before adding. Once done, I used an immersion blender and didn’t need to strain since everything was cooked down. Added the cream and reheated for about 30 minutes. Absolutely delicious with some warm crusty sourdough!
★★★★★
April Anderson says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your slow cooker tips 🙂 Also, thanks for the rating – I appreciate it!
Jennifer says
I just made this. It was fantastic! I did not make the croutons and did not do the blue cheese. We just ate them with grilled cheese sandwiches. They had a ton of flavor and parents and kids both were happy! HUGE step up from plain tomato soup.
★★★★★
April says
So glad you liked it! Love that you served it with grilled cheese 🙂
Erica says
I make this every year for a “soup club” that I’m in. The blue cheese is amazing in it! I don’t strain it, texture and taste is wonderful without the extra step.
★★★★★
Stefanie says
Absolutely love this recipe!! I used Feta instead of blue cheese, it’s all I had on hand. Turned out wonderfully, will definitely make again.
April says
So glad you liked it, Stefanie! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Reenie says
This was so easy and wonderfully delicious. I loved the blue cheese crumbles. I went organic and roasted my own peppers. I didn’t bother to skin, just followed the directions and after simmering, placed ingredients in my nutri bullet which gave it a wonderful texture.
★★★★★
April says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
LOVE that this has a dose of roasted red peppers to it – one of my favorite things! Love the suggestion to serve with blue cheese crumbles, too! Happy that it’s soup weather!
April says
Three cheers for soup weather!
Brian Jones says
A super set of harmonious ingredients that souund and look delicious, although I would have to skip the blue cheese it really is not my thing.
★★★★★
April says
It’s pretty wonderful with the blue cheese, but I bet feta would be just as good!
Renee says
YUM! Tomato soup is my husbands favorite. I’ll need to make this recipe for him soon.
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen says
This looks amazing April, can’t wait to try it.
Diane says
This bisque looks fantastic! I love the croutons and toppings on it. We have lot of peppers and tomatoes so this may be coming to our dinner table soon.
April says
Hope you give it a try – let me know what you think!
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
This looks amazing! I would love a big bowl of this right now!
Suzi Anderson says
Recently made this soup and it’s terrific. Blue Cheese crumbles are great on top , but the best part is the heavenly smells that fill the kitchen! Great recipe! Can’t wait to make it for friends.
April says
Aw, thanks Mom! So glad you liked it 🙂
Courtney @ Sweet Salty Tart says
So blue cheese on red pepper and tomato soup is brilliant. I need to make this immediately.
Evi @ greenevi says
Oh, I just saw this on Instagram and had to check your recipe, looks so incredible! Great job!