I always come back to this roasted red pepper and tomato soup because it's fast, flavorful, and made entirely with pantry staples. To save time, I use crushed canned tomatoes instead of fresh. Heavy cream and a spoonful of basil pesto round things out, giving the soup a rich, creamy texture and a fresh-from-the-garden taste with no roasting required!
I really lean into canned tomatoes with this soup recipe. They're convenient, packed with flavor, and available year-round, making them a go-to option when fresh produce isn't in season.
Of course, if you have fresh tomatoes and peppers on hand, you can absolutely roast them yourself. But I stick with this shortcut version because it saves me time and is still way better than canned tomato basil soup.
If you're looking for something veggie-packed that does use fresh ingredients, try my creamy Broccoli and Zucchini Soup.
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Fast Facts
- Skill level: Easy! Simply sauté, simmer, and blend.
- Cook time: You'll have the entire recipe cooked and ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. Not quite as fast as popping open a can, but still pretty quick!
- Pairs well with: Grilled cheese sandwiches, obviously, but I also love it with these herby chicken salad wraps or flaky three-ingredient biscuits.
Ingredient Notes
- Canned tomatoes: I like using crushed San Marzano tomatoes in this soup because they have a sweeter, less acidic flavor and a smoother texture. Their taste is more concentrated and developed than regular diced or crushed tomatoes, which makes a pretty big difference in a simple recipe like this. (They're the same kind I use in my ground pork spaghetti sauce!)
- Roasted red peppers: These bring a sweet, smoky flavor that you just can't get from fresh red peppers. Using jarred roasted peppers saves the step of roasting them yourself.
- Basil pesto: A spoonful of store-bought pesto adds fresh herby flavor, a hint of garlic, and richness from the oil and cheese. It gives the soup that summery, garden-fresh taste in seconds! Dellalo Basil Pesto is my favorite!
- Chicken broth: I use chicken broth instead of water because it boosts the overall flavor and gives the soup a savory backbone. Vegetable broth works too, but plain water just doesn't add the same depth.
- Heavy cream: I know it can feel tempting to substitute heavy cream with a lighter option like half and half or whole milk. But here's the thing, the rest of the soup ingredients are already very light, so you need the heavy cream to give the soup some depth and a silky mouthfeel.
Special Equipment Needed
For this soup recipe, I like to use an immersion blender to blend everything smooth. It simplifies the process and doesn't dirty as many dishes. But if you don't have an immersion blender, a regular countertop blender is perfectly fine! Just let the soup cool slightly, blend in batches, and be sure to vent the lid to release steam safely.
Recipe Instructions with Photos
- Sauté the onion and garlic.
- Add the stewed tomatoes, roasted red peppers, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Stir in the basil pesto and heavy cream.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste if needed, and then serve and enjoy!
Ideas for Serving
I'm always up for roasted red pepper and tomato soup with a classic grilled cheese on the side. But when I'm craving something a little lighter, I'll go for a soup and salad combo instead. A few creative toppings never hurt either!
Try serving it with:
- Grilled cheese or a turkey pesto panini
- A fresh green salad or a marinated vegetable salad
- Crusty no-knead bread, sourdough, or baguette garlic bread
- Toppings like a swirl of cream, fresh basil, shredded Parmesan, or homemade croutons
FAQs
Freezing cream-based soups can be a little tricky, but it's still totally doable. Heavy cream tends to separate during thawing, which can give soup a grainy texture. The best way to try to avoid this is to thaw the soup slowly in the fridge, reblend it once it's thawed, and then reheat it slowly over low heat.
Yes! If you have ripe fresh tomatoes or red bell peppers, you can totally roast them yourself. However, using canned tomatoes and jarred roasted red peppers saves a ton of time, and you still get a super delicious soup that's far better than any canned Campbell's version.
Yes, you should use a nonreactive pot made from either stainless steel, enameled cast iron, or glass. Reactive pots made from aluminum, uncoated cast iron, or copper can react with the acids in the tomato soup, causing the soup to have a metallic or "off" taste.
More Soup Recipes
If you tried this Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup (with canned tomatoes)
I always come back to this roasted red pepper and tomato soup because it's fast, flavorful, and made entirely with pantry staples. To save time, I use crushed canned tomatoes instead of fresh. Heavy cream and a spoonful of basil pesto round things out, giving the soup a rich, creamy texture and a fresh-from-the-garden taste with no roasting required!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 cups
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Stove-top cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté until soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, roasted red peppers, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the soup until smooth.
- Stir in the basil pesto and heavy cream until fully combined.
- Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use an immersion blender to blend everything smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, a regular countertop blender is perfectly fine! Just let the soup cool slightly, blend in batches, and be sure to vent the lid to release steam safely.
- Be very careful when using an immersion blender in hot liquids. Keep the immersion blender fully submerged in the soup while you're blending to prevent splatter.
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 9.8 g
- Sodium: 635.7 mg
- Fat: 9.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.5 g
- Fiber: 4.2 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 8.4 mg
Terry says
I will be making this soup later today. However, I usually like to read others’ comments before I try making the soup, because I’m not a very good cook. Is it possible to see past comments? I can only see one comment, from you.
Katie Youngs says
Hi Terry - There aren't any other comments on this post. If their were you would definitely be able to see them. I hope you like it! 🙂
Katie says
I love how quick and easy this recipe is!