Last updated on November 1st, 2016
I created this soup for my not-yet-published cookbook. It’s a healthful puree of ripe, Vitamin C-rich bell peppers, plus zingy garlic, fragrant thyme, and creamy russet potatoes. And Lawd A-Mighty — it’s delicious!
You’ll find the soup is scrumptious any time of the year, and at any temperature. Serve it hot in winter, or cold in summer. It makes a fabulous first course for dinner, and a magical main course lunch. If you’re like me, you’ll eat any leftovers for breakfast.
Here’s the step-by-step recipe:
To start, peel and roughly chop 5 fat garlic cloves.
Peel and chop up a large onion, too.
Then obtain 4 red bell peppers, which are nothing more than fully-ripened green bell peppers…
And, while holding each pepper vertically, slice the crimson walls with a sharp knife. When you slice this way, the seeds usually stay attached to their seed-pod, instead of spilling all over the place.
The seed-pod in question. Toss it on the compost pile.
Roughly chop the sliced walls.
Then take 2 russet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), and peel and roughly chop them. The potatoes will give the soup a creamy consistency. You won’t have to add any actual cream.
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat some butter and olive oil — about 2 tablespoons of each — over a low flame.
Once the butter melts, add the garlic, onion, peppers, and potatoes, and toss them about with a green spatula.
Then add 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (triple the amount for fresh leaves)…
And 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper.
Cover the pot, and let the veggies steam quietly until perfectly tender — about 50 minutes. Cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Now add 2 to 3 cups low- (or no-) sodium chicken stock…
And puree the works with a purple immersion blender.
Don’t have an immersion blender? Get thee one.
Or, just puree the veggies in batches in a jar blender or food processor.
Bring this orange poetry to the simmer over a medium flame, and then thin it out, if you wish, with more stock. Taste carefully for seasonings — you might want to add more salt. You could add a splash of brandy, too, although the soup doesn’t require it.
To serve, ladle the soup into a pretty bowl…
Then add a dollop of creme fraiche (see my homemade version) and a sprinkling of thyme leaves or fresh, chopped dill.
Although the soup makes a marvelous first course or main course for dinner, it’s delicious for breakfast, too. Just serve it in a mug.
Wanna make my day? Post a comment below. As always, I love hearing from you.
A perfect first-course for dinner, or main-course for lunch. (It's delicious for breakfast, too!)
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter and olive oil -- 2 tablespoons of each
- 5 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 large white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 red bell peppers (about 2 lbs), roughly chopped
- 2 russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (triple the amount for fresh, chopped leaves)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt and several grinds black pepper
- 4 cups low- or no-sodium chicken stock
- Optional garnishings: Crème Fraîche or sour cream, and bits of chopped dill
Instructions
- In a 5-quart soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over a low flame. Add the chopped veggies and seasonings, and toss with a spatula to coat. Cover the pot, and let the veggies steam until tender -- about 50 minutes. Cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add 2-3 cups chicken stock, then puree the veggies until smooth with an immersion blender. Or, puree in batches in a jar blender or food processor. Bring to a simmer over a medium flame, and stir in the remaining stock. If the soup is still too thick, thin it out with additional stock. Serve hot or cold, garnishing each serving with a dollop of Crème Fraîche or sour cream, and chopped dill.
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Stacy says
Can’t wait to try this soup…..and your cranberry orange bars! Your recipes always make my mouth water – so delicious! I always make one of your recipes when someone that I really, really like is coming to visit!
badger gardener says
I had red pepper soup at a restaurant in Chicago years ago and had forgotten all about it. I haven’t had it since, but remember it being so incredible. What a flashback! This is definitely being made this weekend. I’ll let you know how it compares to my memory of that soup.
Thanks for sharing a bit early. Keeping my fingers crossed that we will see your book on the store shelves soon.
ingmarie peck says
I am sitting here in Florida ,early morning walk with the dog,
now I am chilled so soup it will be today.
Thank you, Kevin.
Ingmarie
Ruth says
Just signed up for your weekly updates after reading your blog on repotting old geraniums. This recipe popped up and it blew my mind! Beautiful pictures (love the tiny toys added), yummy ingredients, and you make it sound so delicious! So glad I found your website! Hope you write books. I will certainly add one to my library of 113 cookbooks! Thank you for your incredible articles, Kevin. You are super!
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
What an eye-popping collection of colors, the china, the tools, the foods… all the more appetizing. You must have “food stylist” on your resume.
Kate says
Every fall, I chop and saute red peppers and freeze them, two to a bag, for vegetarian chili in the winter. Now, I’ll be freezing four-pepper bags for your wonderful soup, too. Delicious!
Brenda Johnson says
What a lovely soup!! Beautiful color, delicious flavor!!! Savory onion and garlic, perfectly balanced with herbs, sweet peppers…so yummy!! The pureed potato makes it velvety and rich…very satisfying! !! A delicious mug of lunch goodness on a busy fall day!! Perfect!! (And the creme fraiche and fresh dill garnish elevated it to something truly special!!) Thank you so much for sharing Kevin!!
Linda says
Can’t wait to try this. Your recips haven’t disappointed, ever. Thanks for posting it-
myrtle miller says
If they’re dragging their feet publishing your cookbook you should publish it yourself and include stories about your family.
Jane Howe says
I have learned (the hard way) to cover my keyboard with a towel before I read one of your recipes. Slobber happens…
Giuditta says
I cannot wait to try this. Red peppers are on sale at Stop & Shop this week, and I am stocking up! This is a great recipe for my diabetes regimen, and I’m going to see what happens when I use sweet potatoes as a substitute for part or all of the russets. Bet it freezes well, too? I’ll let you know how my little change turns out.
What I also cannot wait for is your cookbook — put me on the advance purchase list, Amazon!
Kat Caulfield says
Soup looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Pat says
This sounds fantastic I can’t wait to make it!
AmyG says
Kevin-This soup sounds delicious! When does your cookbook come out?! I cannot wait to have it sitting on my counter! 🙂
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi AmyG – Cookbook is being “shopped” to publishers just now. Thanks for asking!
sue chiafullo says
Looks fabulous! love the orange in the blue bowl. I am sure it tastes just as good!!!!
Ann says
Love the toys in the photos! Thanks for a great idea. I have a bunch of late-season red peppers in the garden that I need to do something with before frost, – and the freezer is full! Looks like it’s soup tonight for dinner.
Trudi says
Red peppers are one of my favorite vegies . This sound wonderful ! I never would have
thought of the potatoes for creaminess. I will go to the Farmers market today and enjoy it tonight. Thanks !
Molly says
Sounds delicious, looks gorgeous. Thanks for another wonderful recipe. Now if only we could have all your great recipes in a COOKBOOK! Someone smart will snap it up. Good luck!
Julie B says
Thanks for the tip on dealing with the pepper seeds, Kevin. That technique is new to me and makes a lot of sense.
I’m looking forward to making this!
Janis says
What a lovely recipe. Going to try it this week
Melissa B. says
Oh the yumminess! I have a potato sensitivity, do you think I could swap out sweet potato? I lean Paleo and thought I could swap the crème fraîche with coconut cream. This sounds just awesome, thank you for sharing it with us!
Colleen says
Thank you for giving approx. weight on the potatoes and peppers. How about a measure for the onions? I find relative terms such as large, medium or small a huge problem when cooking. Most of what I use comes from a garden and I have no idea what is a standard size .
I really enjoy your recipes, garden helps, house helps, the whole kit and caboodle of your web site and emails!
Trudi says
Ok ,its in the pot steaming now …When our brand new neighbors finish unloading their moving truck, I will take some over to welcome them .
Ardelle says
The recipe sounds great. I’ve made my list for the farmer’s market as I don’t have any red bell peppers left in the garden. Glad to see the use of the russet potato. I use that same idea for asparagus soup and broccoli soup as well since I don’t care to use cream or milk. I love sweet red peppers – thanks a bunch.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Melissa B. – Since Russet potatoes are both starchy and mild-flavored, they add just the right “creaminess” and taste to the soup. If you substitute sweet potatoes, let me know how the recipe works out for you.
Hi Trudi – Lucky neighbors!
gloria says
This is heavenly! My winter is now complete A few hundred books and this soup!
Bring on the snow! G
Julia Hofley says
Hot Dawg! Can’t wait to try this one out. Thanks for the gift of another great recipe!
Peg Nemoff says
Kevin, I was looking for something great to do with my huge crop of ripened bell peppers. This looks wonderful. If I made some soup and sliced the rest of the peppers and put them in freezer bags, I am thinking I could make this soup all winter long. I can’t thank you enough for this suggestion.
Betty-Anne says
Looking forward to making this soup with our CSA abundance.
Thanks Kevin!
Mary Ann Z. says
My garden is nearing the end so my husband brought some large green peppers in the house. I don’t know how well they will ripen inside or if the green peppers will not be sweet enough for this recipe. I may wait a couple of days to see if they will change color.
Julie R says
This soup looks so yummy ! I will be making it as soon as I make a trip to the store for the ingredients. Lately I have been trying at least one new recipe every week. This week, Kevin, it will be your Red Bell Pepper Soup. LOL about the Little People and race car and of course Mr Potato Head, who joined the group. Kevin, thanks for giving the amount of servings that this soup makes. That is very helpful, especially when I am making it for my whole family. I can’t wait to get your cook book. Happy Fall !
Jan says
This recipe looks amazing!! I have lots of ripe red and orange bell peppers from my garden, so I am anxious to try it.
Kathleen Killmeyer says
Hi Kevin – I was wondering if a crimson-colored spatula will be ok for this recipe. I looked everywhere for a green one without luck. I sure hope it does not change what looks like an incredible soup! Thanks for all the fun mixed in with your cooking genius!
Dan says
I happened to stop by Kevin’s kitchen just as he had finished making a pot of soup, and he forced (ahem) me to partake. I’ve had many vegetable soups before, and love them, but this was stupendous!
chris says
This recipe could not have been posted at a better time. I went to the Farmer’s Market and bought 6 green peppers (now red) with the intent to make stuffed peppers. Well, I broke my foot 3 days later and have no weight bearing so I had all these beautiful peppers and was sad. Along comes your recipe! I can sit down and do most of the chopping and prop myself up for the rest. 🙂 which wouldn’t take as long as the stuffed peppers and putting them in the oven.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Chris – I broke my foot several years ago. Not fun! Wishing you a speedy recovery…and a beautiful pot of soup!
Kat Caulfield says
I made this soup yesterday and it was out of this world delicious!
chris says
Hi Kevin,
It’s Chris. I just made the red pepper soup and it is on the stove right now-on a low simmer. I took a few sips of it earlier and it is soooo good. I didn’t have the thyme but it still came out perfect! I had to hop around a lot but it was worth it. Perfect sunny Fall day in Michigan and perfect for soup. 🙂
Thanks for your well wishes and the soup recipe!! 🙂
Joy says
Oh Yum Kevin…enjoying this wonderful creation at this very moment!! We may just eat the whole pot!!! Thank you ever so much for the great recipes and your emails.
LD says
My husband bought a bag of peppers from Costco and only used 2. What to do with the other 4, finally made your soup and it was fabulous. Great timing with posting this and will definitely make it again. Thanks so much!!
Cindy says
We had the Red Pepper Soup this evening. I am so happy to have found your recipe. It is delicious. Thank you.
Your Rustic Apple Cake, I will make over the weekend.
Sue Anderson. Queensland. Australia says
you have such lovely, fun loving people commenting here Kevin
Marie says
I made the soup last night and it was incredibly delicious! I made a half recipe so I could use the rest of the (home-made) chicken stock for a half recipe of the butternut squash pasta sauce. A perfect dinner for the first snowy day of the season.
I’m looking forward to soup for breakfast today. I will make the full recipe next time for sure.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Marie – I’m so glad you tried — and liked — both the soup and the butternut squash pasta sauce. Thanks for commenting!
Kathy says
Your soup looks really good but I really don’t like the taste of bell peppers. How strong is the bell pepper flavor? Your table is absolutely beautiful.
Lynn Bean says
Mmmm I love bell peppers (or capsicums as we call them here in Oz). Going to try this soup as soon as the weather cools down. I don’t know how I missed the recipe the first time round.
@Kathy – if you don’t like bell peppers, why would you make this soup? Perhaps try tomato instead.
frederique jennette says
the bell pepper soup was so delicious! thank you and have a Happy New Year!
Arline Goeschel says
Hi Kevin, the soup has wonderful flavor but was a little thin to our taste. That I can fix the next time…definitely worth making again. Thanks for the recipe.
Marie says
My family had fun trying to guess ingredients to your soup. Nonetheless they enjoyed warm bowl of soup. Delicious!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Marie – So glad you and your family enjoyed the soup!
Nadelane says
Does this freeze well? Lots of garden peppers but going out of town.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Nadelane – The soup should freeze perfectly well. Enjoy it!
Joan D'Alonzo says
Kevin, I am over whelmed with tomatoes and red bell peppers!! the garden was especially
wonderful to us this year !!!!
I am in the process (getting everything ready) to try your recipe !!! I read it and like what I read !!
Thank You so much !!
Nancy Tauber says
It’s winter in Chicago, but I remembered this recipe from previous visits to your delicious website. Red peppers are on sale -yay!!- so this soup is on the agenda. Thanks for giving us so much food and fun.