Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Gouda is the ultimate nourishing soup for cozy chilly days and the easiest soup recipe you’ll ever make! It’s ready in 3 quick steps with minimal active time in the kitchen. The hardest part is waiting to eat it as the aroma of the roasted veggies fills your home while they're in the oven!
Smoky gouda cheese is what takes this soup to the next level - from basic to outrageously delicious. The perfect soup for a weeknight dinner on fall or winter days.
This recipe was inspired when I had some leftover gouda cheese from a charcuterie board I made at the holidays. I didn’t want to throw it away, but I also wanted something more filling than cheese, deli meat, and crackers.
So don’t toss that extra charcuterie cheese! Turn it into a delicious soup that will fill you up with plenty of good nutrition. If you have some leftover bread on hand, I strongly suggest making Homemade Croutons to throw on top. For a more nostalgic meal, serve it up with a grilled cheese sandwich. It really doesn’t get better than that.
If you're looking for other nourishing soups, try Red Cabbage Soup, loaded with hearty veggies and warm spices.
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What You’ll Love About Roasted Red Pepper Gouda Soup
NUTRITION - as a dietitian, I love that this recipe is loaded with flavor AND nutrition! The vegetables provide antioxidants, fiber for gut health, and vitamins and minerals including potassium and vitamin C (for immunity) from the roasted red peppers and tomatoes, vitamin A (for eyes and skin) from the carrots, and vitamin D, phosphorus, and calcium (for bones) from the gouda cheese. The extra virgin olive oil is high in heart-healthy oleic acids that also support brain health and hormone health. This recipe is also naturally gluten-free and a great meatless recipe. You can easily make it vegetarian by switching the broth, or make it higher in protein by adding shredded chicken or GF Turkey Meatballs.
EASY - 3 simple steps. It’s that easy. You’ll rough chop some vegetables, throw them on a sheet pan in the oven and blend them up with broth and gouda.
MINIMAL PREP AND CLEANUP - What’s better than a one-pot recipe? A one-pan recipe! This roasted red pepper soup requires very minimal prep time and the clean up is super quick, too. You don’t even need to turn on the stove-top or dirty up a large pot.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS - you’ll use fresh vegetables, some olive oil, dried spices, gouda, and a little bit of broth. That’s it!
Read more below about how to make this recipe or feel free to jump to the recipe to get cooking!
Jump to RecipeIngredients
*This Red Bell Pepper Soup with Gouda is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
Red Bell Pepper - the main ingredient for this soup is fresh red bell peppers. Roasting your own peppers adds a depth of flavor that you really can’t get from jarred or canned bell peppers. When choosing fresh bell peppers, look for the ones that are brightly colored and firm. Try to avoid bell peppers that are starting to have wrinkles. I tend to choose the bell peppers with 4 lobes on the bottom rather than 3. There’s a myth that bell peppers with 4 lobes are sweeter. And even though the myth has been debunked, I still find that they turn out to be the sweetest! Red bell peppers contain plenty of vitamin C for immunity, potassium, and fiber which is great for supporting gut health and hormone health.
Tomato - the tomato flavor pairs beautifully with red bell peppers in soup. I use Roma tomatoes for this recipe, but you could use a different variety if you have extra tomatoes laying around. If you can, grab tomatoes at your local farmer’s market! 🙂 Tomatoes add more vitamin C and a powerful antioxidant called lycopene that can protect cells from oxidative stress.
Carrot - carrots add a bit of extra sweetness and color to this soup. Plus, they provide beta-carotene that converts into vitamin A in your body and is an important nutrient for your eyes and skin! Be sure to grab "adult" carrots rather than baby carrots because they are sweeter. No need to peel them, but you do need to give them a good rinse.
Yellow Onion - fresh onion gets roasted with the other vegetables to add aromatic flavor. Many people don’t realize that onions are super nutrient-dense, too. They contain fiber, a large amount of an anti-inflammatory antioxidant called quercetin, vitamin C, and potassium.
Garlic - for this recipe, you will roast the whole garlic bulb with the veggies on the sheet pan and then squeeze the slightly brown, super flavorful garlic cloves into the blender. This is literally the best way I’ve ever prepared garlic! You don’t need to mince or slice it so your hands don’t end up smelling like garlic for days, and it almost caramelizes in the oven. Divine! Nutritionally, garlic contains a compound allicin which has been shown to enhance the functioning of the immune system.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - I love roasting vegetables in extra virgin olive oil because of the robust taste. It also adds oleic acids, healthy fats that are great for overall health including brain health, hormone health, and heart-health.
Gouda Cheese - gouda cheese pairs wonderfully with the roasted vegetables and mimics the consistency of a creamy soup without needing to use heavy cream. Use either natural gouda cheese or smokey gouda. Find gouda in the dairy or deli section at the grocery store. Gouda cheese also adds some protein, calcium, and phosphorus to support healthy bones.
Chicken Broth - this recipe calls for low sodium chicken broth. If you use regular chicken broth, it’s a bit too salty. You can replace the chicken broth for low sodium vegetable broth to make this soup vegetarian.
Blend of Spices - a perfectly balanced combination of aromatic dried herbs and spices including dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - a pinch of salt and black pepper is a great way to tie all the flavors together.
Instructions
*Below are the instructions for how to make Roasted Red Pepper Soup with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet or sheet pan with parchment paper (this is optional for easier clean up). Wash vegetables under running water and then roughly chop red bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and onion. Cut the bottom end off of a whole bulb of garlic. Note: you can peel your carrot if you want, but there is no need to.
Step 2: Place the red bell peppers (skin side up), tomatoes, carrots, onion, and bulb of garlic on the prepared baking sheet and coat them in olive oil and seasonings. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. The red bell pepper will have charred skin by the time it's done roasting. You want this! Your house will start to smell amazing, which is really just a bonus! 😉
Step 3: When the vegetables are done roasting, remove from the oven and add low sodium chicken broth and shredded gouda to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic cloves to the blender by squeezing them out of the skin being careful not to get the skins in the blender.
Step 4: Add the remainder of the roasted vegetables to the blender while they are still hot. Blend everything until smooth using a spatula to push down the sides as needed. Safety tip: turn off the blender or food processor when pushing down the sides with a spatula.
Give it a taste and add additional salt if needed. Serve immediately with Homemade Croutons on top or wait for the soup to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Hint: Feel free to heat up the chicken broth in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave before adding it to the blender. Just be careful when handling hot liquids!
Substitutions
One of the great things about making homemade soup is that you can absolutely customize it! Below are some ideas for substitutions for this recipe.
- Vegetables - if you want to get even more nutrition, add cauliflower florets to the roasted veggies! If you don’t like tomatoes or carrots, feel free to leave them off. The soup will still taste great.
- Oil - I tend to use extra-virgin olive oil for my roasted vegetables because I prefer the robust flavor. If you prefer a mild flavor, you can use avocado oil.
- Broth or Stock - for this recipe, you can use low sodium or unsalted chicken stock instead of low sodium chicken broth. If you want to make it vegetarian, you can use either low sodium vegetable broth or unsalted vegetable stock.
Variations
- Spicy - make this soup a bit spicier by either doubling the crushed red pepper flakes or adding some cayenne for an extra zip!
- Bright - brighten up this soup by squeezing on some fresh lemon juice when serving. The citric acid from the lemon juice will enhance the flavors.
- Smoky - if you really love a smoky flavor, amp it up by using smoked paprika and smoked gouda.
- Creamier - prefer a super creamy soup? Add ½ cup of greek yogurt or a tablespoon or two of sour cream.
Storage
You can easily meal prep this recipe ahead of time and reheat it! Here are my tips for how to store Red Pepper Soup in the fridge or freezer.
Fridge: to store Red Pepper Soup in the fridge, let the soup cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat from the fridge, warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezer: to store Red Pepper Soup in the freezer, let the soup cool completely and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight and then heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Expert tips
- When adding the roasted vegetables from the sheet pan into the blender or food processor, you will press the bulbs out of the garlic (they will come out easily once roasted). Be sure not to get the tough garlic skin in the blender or food processor!
- If you want this soup warmer, feel free to heat the broth before adding it to the blender with the vegetables and cheese. Always be careful when handling hot liquids.
- I suggest using a low sodium broth for this so that you can control how salty it is. Remember, you can always add salt but you can’t take it away!
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, from a nutritional perspective this recipe is healthy. It is nutrient dense and contains fiber for gut health, antioxidants, heart-healthy fats that are also important for brain health and hormone health. It's also full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
This recipe is also naturally gluten-free, plant-forward, made with whole food ingredients, contains no added sugars, and it can easily be made vegetarian by swapping out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
This soup pairs perfectly with crusty bread, homemade croutons, a sandwich, or salad. Serve it with a warm accompaniment in the winter and cool things down with a salad in the summertime!
I suggest using red peppers because they are the sweetest variety, but if you want to change things up feel free to try a different color!
Absolutely not! You can use any blender or food processor. I do have a Vitamix Blender and I love it, but I've made this recipe in my less expensive Cuisinart blender, too! The roasted vegetables are softened in the oven so they blend up easily. If you like a chunkier soup, you could use an immersion blender.
It's not! If you prefer spicier soups, I suggest doubling the Red Pepper Flakes.
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Pairing
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📖 Recipe
Easy Roasted Red Pepper Soup (with Gouda & Tomatoes)
Equipment
- Parchment Paper optional
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers, cut in halves and seeds removed
- 4 roma tomatoes, cut into fourths or tomato variety of choice
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 bulb garlic, bottom end cut off see recipe images for reference
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil if preferred
Spice Blend for Roasted Vegetables
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
For Blending Soup
- 2½ cups low sodium chicken broth or low sodium vegetable broth if preferred
- 2 oz shredded smoked gouda cheese about ½ cup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet or sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Roughly chop red bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and onion. Cut the bottom end off a bulb of garlic. Note: you can peel your carrot if you want to but there is no need to.
- Place the red bell peppers (skin side up), tomatoes, carrots, onion, and bulb of garlic on the prepared baking sheet and coat them in olive oil and spice blend including the dried oregano, dried basil, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- When the vegetables are done roasting, remove from the oven and add chicken broth and shredded gouda to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic cloves to the blender by squeezing them out of the skin of the garlic bulb.
- Add the remainder of the roasted vegetables to the blender while they are still hot. Blend everything until smooth using a spatula to push down the sides as needed. Safety tips: turn off the blender or food processor when pushing down the sides with a spatula and be careful when blending hot liquid that it doesn’t splash. Give it a taste and add additional salt if needed.
- Serve right away in a large bowl with some Homemade Croutons on top or wait for the soup to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- When adding the roasted vegetables from the sheet pan into the blender or food processor, you will press the bulbs out of the garlic (they will come out easily once roasted). Be sure not to get the tough garlic skin in the blender or food processor!
- If you want this soup warmer, feel free to heat the broth before adding it to the blender with the vegetables and cheese. Always be careful when handling hot liquids.
- I suggest using a low sodium broth for this so that you can control how salty it is. Remember, you can always add salt but you can’t take it away!
- Fridge: to store Red Pepper Soup in the fridge, let the soup cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat from the fridge, warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freezer: to store Red Pepper Soup in the freezer, let the soup cool completely and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight and then heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
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