Roasted Red Pepper Carrot Soup

This creamy vegan roasted red pepper carrot soup is quick and easy to make (just 10 ingredients) and so comforting! With a slight kick from harissa and creaminess from potatoes, it's well balanced and perfect for eating with grilled cheese or crusty bread.

My husband and I were inspired to create this recipe after having a similar soup at a restaurant in New York earlier this year. It was so comforting, yet so simple – the perfect formula for any soup!

We added a few ingredients to amp up the flavor a bit (smoked paprika, harissa seasoning), but it still comes together in one pot in just a little over 30 minutes.

Plus, instead of roasting red peppers from scratch (time consuming and messy!), we used canned roasted red peppers instead. They're easy to find and taste great.

That being said, if you prefer fresh roasted red peppers, you do you.

Let's make it!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this roasted red pepper soup:

• Olive oil: or vegan butter.
• Yellow onion: shallots work well, too.
• Yukon gold potatoes: yukon golds are by far my favorite for puréed soups. They get super creamy and buttery, but they don't make the soup gummy when blended.
• Carrot
• Roasted red pepper: as mentioned above, we use the stuff you find in a jar to make life easier. Don't forget to drain the brine!
• Salt & pepper
• Tomato paste
• Harissa seasoning blend: we use a dry harissa seasoning blend in this soup. If you only have harissa paste, start with less and add more to taste.
• Smoked paprika: sweet paprika works great, too!
• Vegetable broth

Instructions

This soup couldn't be any easier to make! Here's how to do it:

Sauté: Add olive oil to a soup pot over medium heat. Once heated, add onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add carrots and potatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Simmer: Add roasted red pepper, salt, pepper, harissa, smoked paprika and tomato paste and stir well to coat the vegetables. Add vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. 

Blend: Transfer the soup to a heat-safe blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. You can also use an immersion blender for this. If your blender is small, you may need to blend in two batches. 

Be careful – the steam can be super hot!

Serve: Pour into bowl and garnish with olive oil, pepper, fresh herbs and toasted pumpkin seeds (optional). Serve warm and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

My favorite way to serve this vegan roasted red pepper soup? With a perfectly melty, crispy (vegan) grilled cheese sandwich!

Simple is best here. Grab your favorite bread, brush with vegan butter, top with a pile of vegan cheese and toast in a skillet until grilled to perfection.

Alternatively, plain old bread is always great for dipping into a creamy soup like this one. For extra flavor, I like to brush mine with olive oil, salt and pepper and toast in the oven until crispy while the soup is simmering.

You can also serve this soup with rice, pita, or of course, a side salad. Here are a few great salad pairings to try with this soup:

• Kale Tahini Caesar Salad (Vegan)
• Greek Chickpea Salad
• White Bean Salad

Storage

To store leftovers, let the soup cool completely at room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Freezer instructions: Let soup cool, then transfer to freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

More creamy vegan soup recipes:

• Creamy Beet Soup
• Vegan Cauliflower Soup
• Carrot Apple Ginger Soup
• Creamy Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup
• Coconut Curry Squash Soup

If you make this vegan roasted red pepper carrot soup, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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