Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Soup with White Beans & Croutons
This spicy Roasted Red Pepper Soup is a smoky, flavorful blend of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and white beans, spiced with harissa paste for a little heat. It's a healthy, hearty dish that's ready in less than an hour, very hands off, and packed with vitamin C for warding off those winter sniffles!
The homemade croutons and crunchy white bean topping is a great way of making this dish a bit more unique - and adds a wonderful texture to the soup. If you love this recipe, you might want to try my harissa butter beans, or my butternut squash and red pepper soup or this roasted red pepper and tomato soup.
This soup is perfect on its own, but if you're looking to round out the meal, pair it with grilled cheese or a toasted sourdough sandwich instead of the croutons and white beans.
Ingredient Notes
If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you'll find the recipe card which has the exact quantities you need and the instructions for making this recipe. Below I've included a few ingredient notes, variations, and potential substitutions:
- Red Peppers: Roasting red peppers adds a deep, smoky sweetness to the soup. If you can't find fresh red peppers, jarred roasted red peppers work well in a pinch-just drain them before adding to the soup. Plus, red peppers are packed with vitamin C - which is a great nutrient to get into your diet throughout winter to ward off colds and sickness.
- Tomatoes: This soup also has a few quartered fresh tomatoes which we also roast to help balance out the sweetness of the peppers.
- Sofrito: This soup is packed with vegetables, so in addition to the red peppers and tomatoes, we also have the holy trio of onion, carrots, and celery. Plus, a few cloves of roasted garlic for added depth and flavor.
- White Beans: These help thicken the soup and add creaminess without needing heavy cream. I reserve about half to a third of the tin for making the crispy bean croutons.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa brings a smoky, spicy depth to the soup. Adjust the quantity based on your spice tolerance. If you don't have harissa, you can substitute it with chipotle paste or even a teaspoon of chili powder instead.
- Vegetable stock: I mix vegetable stock cubes with boiling water to get the correct quantity of stock. You could also use a prepared vegetable stock or, if you're not vegetarian, use chicken broth instead.
- Croutons: The gorgeous and easy homemade croutons and crispy white beans add a crunchy topping that ontrasts so beautifully with the creamy soup. If you're short on time, you can skip this step or use store-bought croutons instead - but I'd highly recommend trying it!
Variations & Substitutions
- Spice Level: If you prefer a milder soup, reduce the amount of harissa paste, or leave it out altogether. For more heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or an extra spoon of harissa. You could also add a spoonful of coconut yoghurt or creme fraiche to help reduce the amount of spice.
- Different Beans: You can use chickpeas or butter beans instead of white beans for a slightly different texture and flavor. Or, you could omit the white beans altogether if you prefer.
- Vegan Option: This recipe is already vegan if you omit the cheese for the croutons! So you can enjoy a delicious plant based soup as it is!
- Creamy Version: If you want to make the soup richer, stir in a splash of coconut milk or cream after blending.
How To Make This Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Here's an overview of how to make this delicious, smoky, and slightly spicy soup. The exact step-by-step instructions and ingredient quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Roast the red pepper and tomatoes
Start by removing the seeds from your red peppers and chopping them into large chunks (I literally just cut the peppers into fours, cutting around the stem/seeds at the top). Quarter your tomatoes and peel your garlic cloves, and then add them all to the baking tray.
Sprinkle over your oil, smoked paprika, and oregano, and roast the red peppers, tomatoes, and garlic with until they're soft and slightly charred.
2. Sauté the sofrito
While the veggies are roasting, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot in a little oil to build the flavor base of the soup. I recommend sauteing the vegetables on a low heat, stirring often, to allow them to soften nicely.
Then, you can add your tablespoon of harissa paste and stir that into the soup before adding the roasted vegetables.
3. Blend the soup
Add the roasted peppers, tomatoes, and garlic to the sautéed vegetables along with the stock and half of the beans.
Blend until smooth and allow the soup to simmer on low heat while you make your croutons. Season to taste.
5. Make the croutons
Toss your cubed bread and the rest of the beans with olive oil and spices, then bake until crispy and golden. Add your hard cheese (I use Pecorino) about 5 minutes before removing the tray from the oven so it gets nice and melty.
Top the soup with the croutons in bowls along with more black pepper, perhaps a drizzle of cream or creme fraiche, and a little extra virgin olive oil.
Top Tips \ Chef's Notes
- Roasting the vegetables: Make sure to let the peppers and tomatoes cool a little before handling, and don't worry about peeling every bit of skin off the peppers. A bit of char adds to the flavor - but if you have particularly black skins, feel free to peel off the worst bits.
- Blending: If you like your soup chunkier, only blend half of it, leaving some of the beans and veggies whole for added texture.
- Croutons and crispy beans: Tossing the beans with olive oil and spices before roasting gives them an incredible crunch. It's a small step that adds so much to the final dish.
Storage
This soup stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If you're planning to freeze it, let it cool completely first and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove, adding a bit of extra water or stock to loosen it up if it's too thick.
The croutons and crispy beans are best made fresh, but you can store them separately in an airtight container for up to 2 days and re-crisp them in the oven if needed.
How To Serve?
Serve this white bean and red pepper spicy soup with the crispy croutons and beans piled on top, and add a sprinkle of fresh basil or parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and black pepper over the top for a finishing touch.
If you want to add a little creaminess and lessen the spice of the harissa, add a scoop of creme fraiche or coconut yogurt too.
FAQs
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Yes! This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld. Just store it in the fridge, and reheat on the stove when ready to serve.
How can I make this soup milder?
If you're sensitive to heat, simply reduce the amount of harissa paste or skip it altogether. The soup will still have plenty of flavor from the roasted peppers and smoked paprika.
Can I freeze this soup?
Absolutely. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Just make sure to store the croutons and crispy beans separately, as they won't hold their crunch in the freezer.
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Soup with White Bean Croutons
This delicious spicy roasted red pepper soup is packed with flavor, vegetables, and vitamin C - perfect for warding off winter illnesses. It's a hands off recipe ready in about an hour.
Ingredients
- 4 red peppers
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 large garlic cloves, whole
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
- 1 400g tin white beans, drained & rinsed
- 500ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the croutons & crispy beans:
- 2 slices of sourdough bread, diced
- 20g hard cheese
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C | 395F and line your baking tray with baking paper.
- Deseed your red peppers and cut them into large chunks, then quarter your tomatoes. Arrange them flat on the baking tray.
- Drizzle over the oil, smoked paprika, and oregano, and use tongs to coat the vegetables. Add the garlic cloves (whole), and place the baking tray in the oven. Roast for 35 - 40 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven, and leave to cool slightly.
- While the peppers cool, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery, and carrot. Saute for 7-8 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the harissa paste and stir it into the vegetables for another minute.
- Now that they’ve cooled, remove most of the charred red pepper skins by simply peeling them off. Don’t worry too much about removing every last bit of skin - a blender will blitz everything until smooth anyway.
- Add the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic to the pan along with the vegetable stock. Add half the can of drained beans. Blend everything until smooth and creamy, then simmer on low heat. Season to taste.
- To make the croutons, dice your bread and add it to a bowl along with the other half of the beans (pat them dry first). Add the seasonings and oil and toss until coated, then place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, sprinkle over the cheese and bake for another 5 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Serve the soup with the croutons and crispy beans on top with more black pepper.
Notes
- Roasting the vegetables: Make sure to let the peppers and tomatoes cool a little before handling, and don’t worry about peeling every bit of skin off the peppers. A bit of char adds to the flavor.
- Blending: If you like your soup chunkier, only blend half of it, leaving some of the beans and veggies whole for added texture.
- Croutons and crispy beans: Tossing the beans with olive oil and spices before roasting gives them an incredible crunch. It’s a small step that adds so much to the final dish.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 426Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 1042mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 12gSugar: 12gProtein: 17g
