A blend of bright tomatoes, roasted pepper, and smokey gouda cheese makes this creamy roasted red pepper soup a true crowd-pleaser for any chilly day!
It's soup season, and nothing beats the deep, rich flavors of roasted red peppers paired with bright tomatoes and rich, creamy smokey gouda cheese.
While I love the texture that comes in this potato corn chowder, I love the creaminess of this roasted red pepper and gouda soup. The texture and color will remind you of a luxurious tomato bisque, but layers of bright and smoky flavors add an extra special flair!
You can pair this with freshly baked crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich for a light lunch or serve it as a side dish with these baked chicken thighs or Traeger tri-tip for a hearty and balanced dinner!
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Why This Recipe Works
1. The flavor combination of tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and gouda cheese marry for a rich and delicious flavor.
2. Using jarred roasted red peppers saves time and dishes without sacrificing flavor!
3. This soup is perfect for a light lunch or an appetizer to a meaty main course.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive Oil - used to sauté the tomatoes and garlic, adding a rich and savory flavor.
- Tomatoes - using tomatoes on the vine will add the best, most robust and sweet flavor.
- Chicken Stock - adds a savory and deep flavor to the soup as the main liquid.
- Roasted Red Pepper - using jarred roasted red peppers instead of dried ones will add a more robust flavor and softer texture.
- Smoked Gouda Cheese - shred the cheese, then finely chop it so that it melts slowly, creating a velvety texture while adding a unique and smoky flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - provides a full-bodied and creamy finish, similar to a tomato bisque.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves - for a pungent, earthy flavor that helps balance out the acidic flavor of the tomatoes.
- Salt - a flavor enhancer.
- Pepper - a flavor enhancer.
- Fresh Basil - to garnish on top before serving for a pop of color and flavor.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
📋 Variations
- To lighten this soup up a touch, you can skip the heavy whipping cream. It will still be creamy and taste just as amazing!
- If you want to mellow out the flavors some but skip the heaviness of the whipping cream, just substitute it for half and half.
- If you want to add a little heat, sprinkle in some red chili flakes or hot sauce like I use in my Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
- For a vegetarian red pepper gouda soup, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- If you want a thinner, soup-like consistency (instead of a bisque), use chicken broth instead of the stock.
🔪 Step-By-Step-Recipe Instructions
Step 1-2: In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quartered tomatoes, cloves of minced garlic, black pepper, and salt to the pot. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the fresh tomatoes break down, about 15 minutes.
Step 3-5: Add the roasted red pepper and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring the contents to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Step 6-7: Remove the pot from the heat and add the contents of the soup to a blender. Carefully blend the soup until smooth.
👩🏼🍳 Important Note: To avoid splattering and overflowing, do this in batches.
Step 8-9: Place the blended soup back into the pot on the stovetop. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly add finely chopped gouda cheese in small batches, stirring with a large spoon as you continue to add in the cheese. Once all the cheese is added, slowly pour in the ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, stirring as you pour.
Step 10-11: Cook on medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring often, until all the cheese has melted. Then, add the soup mixture back to the blender and puree for 1 minute.
Return the soup to the pot and serve. Garnish with fresh basil, cracked pepper, and a splash of heavy whipping cream.
Fresh, bright, rich, and smokey, this roasted red pepper soup is the star of soup season! Just top with some croutons or serve with a slice of crusty bread to sop up every last drop of this rich and delicious soup!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQs
There's no need to peel roasted red peppers before putting them into soup, as the skins will be very soft. You can also use a jarred version to save on time and effort while making soup.
Red peppers become smoky and sweet when roasted, especially if the skins are roasted until just slightly charred. The flavor when you roast red peppers is a game changer!
💭 Expert Tips
- To avoid tomato seeds in your soup, core the tomatoes before adding them to the pot.
- You can either add the entire red pepper to the pot or cut it into chunks before adding it to the pot. The flavor and end result will be exactly the same!
- For more roasted red pepper flavor, add a small amount of the liquid from the jar to the soup.
- When blending the soup, add it in batches to avoid splattering, and be sure to vent the blender regularly to avoid a build-up of pressure from the steam.
- To store leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring frequently until warmed through. This soup doesn't freeze well because of the heavy cream.
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Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Gouda
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 vine tomatoes, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounce jar roasted red pepper, drained
- 1½ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded and finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the 4 quartered tomatoes, 4 cloves of minced garlic, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pot.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often until the fresh tomatoes bread down, about 15 minutes.
- Add to roasted red pepper and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring the contents to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the contents of the soup to a blender. Carefully blend the soup until smooth.Important Note: To avoid splattering and overflowing, do this in batches.
- Place the blended soup back into the pot on the stovetop. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly add in the 1 cup of finely chopped gouda cheese in small batches, ensuring to stir with a large spoon as you continue to add in the cheese.
- Once all the cheese is added, slowly pour in the ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, ensuring you continue to stir.
- Continue to cook the soup on medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring often, until all the cheese has melted.
- Add the soup mixture back to the blender and puree for 1 minute.
- Return the soup back to the pot and serve. Garnish with fresh basil, cracked pepper, and a splash of heavy whipping cream.
Notes
- To avoid tomato seeds in your soup, core the tomatoes before adding them to the pot.
- You can either add the entire roasted red pepper to the pot or cut it into chunks before adding it to the pot. The flavor and end result will be exactly the same!
- For more roasted red pepper flavor, add a small amount of the liquid from the jar to the soup.
- When blending the soup, add it in batches to avoid splattering, and be sure to vent the blender regularly to avoid a build-up of pressure from the steam.
- To store leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring frequently until warmed through. This soup doesn't freeze well because of the heavy cream.
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