Synopsis: Today my team made this smoky-sweet roasted pepper and tomato soup. It is a little involved, but it makes a big impression! Ideally, you should have a gas stove or a grill to roast the peppers. If possible, I suggest doing it outside, since little black flakes of red pepper skin tend to fly around everywhere and can be a pain to clean up. Feel free to switch up the seasonings in this, but I think the Worcestershire and the sugar are essential to striking a nice balance of flavor.
This soup was thickened exclusively with rice, giving it a bisque texture. Feel free to use a cornstarch + water slurry instead.
Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Red Peppers
- Tomatoes, peeled and seeded (can use canned)
- Fresh whole tomatoes, quartered
- Cooked rice
- Onions
- Chicken Stock and Tomato Paste, if necessary
- Basil
- Worcestershire sauce
- Sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
Flame on! Turn on the gas burners of your stove or get your grill nice and hot. Place the peppers directly over the flame and roast those suckers nice and black. Like, ALL of it, don’t leave any bits of red skin. When they are done, take a wet towel or washcloth and sprinkle some kosher salt on it. Now rub the skin of the peppers gently to get the skin separate from the flesh. Don’t worry about loose flecks left on the pepper, because the next step is to rinse the peppers well. Cut the pepper in half, remove the stem and seeds, and chop up the pepper roughly.
Now place the quartered tomatoes into a sheet pan and roast it at 400 degrees until it just starts to get some black tops on it. While they are roasting, saute the onion in some butter in the bottom a large pot. Add the chopped red pepper and quartered tomatoes. Now add the canned peeled tomatoes whole and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked rice. If you wish, you can add some chicken stock and/or tomato paste to adjust the thickness and volume of the soup. (Our team added some of both. It was good, but I think the roasted flavor comes out better if you don’t).
Now puree the soup in a regular blender or with an immersion blender. If needed, add more chicken stock or tomato paste to adjust the final texture. Add Worcestershire, salt, spices, and sugar to taste. Strain the soup to get any rice particles or seeds out. Done! Garnish with cheese, fresh basil leaves, or whatever your heart desires.