Roasted Red Pepper Soup Croutons

There's this Tuesday morning I'll never forget when my neighbor knocked on my door with a basket of roasted red peppers from her garden, still warm in their paper bag. She had way too many and insisted I take them, then disappeared before I could even thank her properly. I stood there holding that bag, smelling the charred sweetness, and suddenly knew exactly what needed to happen, a soup that would turn those peppers into something silky and alive, with enough heat to make you sit up and pay attention.

I made this for my partner one rainy Sunday when we were both too lazy to go out, and he actually put his phone down while eating it, which never happens. That moment when someone stops scrolling and just tastes what's in front of them, that's when you know a recipe has earned its place in your rotation.

Ingredients

• Red bell peppers: Four large ones get roasted until their skins blacken and blister, which concentrates their natural sugars and makes the soup taste like pure pepper essence with zero bitterness.
• Yellow onion: One medium onion chopped gives you the aromatic base that harissa builds on, and honestly the kitchen smells incredible while this is happening.
• Garlic: Two cloves minced, because underestimating garlic is how you end up with forgettable soup.
• Carrot: One medium carrot adds subtle sweetness and body without overpowering the peppers, which is the whole point here.
• Olive oil: Three tablespoons total, used for roasting, building your base, and coating the croutons, so don't skimp on something you actually taste.
• Harissa paste: One tablespoon is your secret weapon, a North African chili paste that brings complex heat and depth that single-note hot sauce can't touch.
• Smoked paprika: One teaspoon adds a whisper of campfire flavor that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
• Ground cumin: One teaspoon ties everything together with warm earthiness, the connector between sweet peppers and savory spice.
• Vegetable broth: Three cups creates the right consistency, thin enough to blend smooth but substantial enough to feel like actual food.
• Canned diced tomatoes: One 14-ounce can adds acidity and body, and honestly canned tomatoes are more consistent than fresh ones anyway.
• Salt and pepper: Taste as you go, because every stove runs different and your hand might be heavier than mine.
• Sugar: One teaspoon optional, for balancing that tomato tang if your peppers turned out less sweet than expected.
• Heavy cream or coconut cream: Quarter cup optional, swirled in at the end for richness that makes people close their eyes.
• Day-old bread: Two cups cut into cubes, because fresh bread gets soggy and sad but day-old bread gets crispy and golden.
• Garlic powder: Half teaspoon for the croutons, concentrated garlic flavor without the moisture of fresh cloves.
• Dried oregano: Half teaspoon, enough to recognize it but not so much that you're eating oregano soup.
• Fresh parsley or cilantro: A handful chopped for garnish, bright and alive against the warm orange soup.

Instructions

Get your oven going and start the peppers:

Preheat to 425°F and arrange your four red pepper halves skin-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and slide them in for 25 to 30 minutes until their skins are blackened and blistered and they've collapsed slightly, which is exactly what you want.

Make the croutons while you wait:

Toss your two cups of day-old bread cubes with two tablespoons olive oil, half teaspoon garlic powder, half teaspoon dried oregano, and a quarter teaspoon salt. Spread on a separate tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until they're golden and actually crispy on the outside.

Cool those peppers and peel them:

Once they're cool enough to handle without swearing, the charred skin just slides right off, and you're left with these impossibly soft, sweet pepper halves. It feels like magic that all those blackened bits come away so cleanly.

Build your flavor base:

Heat your remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add your chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced carrot. Sauté for five to seven minutes until everything softens and the onion turns translucent, then stir in your harissa, smoked paprika, and cumin and let it cook for exactly one minute until your kitchen smells like somewhere you want to stay.

Combine and simmer:

Add your peeled roasted peppers, the canned tomatoes with their juice, three cups of vegetable broth, your salt and pepper, and that optional teaspoon of sugar. Bring it to a boil then immediately turn it down to a simmer for 15 minutes, which is long enough for all the flavors to get to know each other but not so long that you lose the bright pepper taste.

Blend it until silky:

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to purée everything until it's completely smooth and velvety, or carefully transfer to a blender in batches if that's what you have. The soup should look like liquid velvet, not like someone poured sand in it.

Finish and taste:

Stir in your cream or coconut cream if you're using it, then taste and adjust your salt and pepper because this is your soup and you're the boss of it. Ladle into bowls and top with your crispy croutons, fresh parsley or cilantro, and an extra swirl of harissa or cream if you're feeling fancy.

Save

I served this to my mother-in-law during a visit when I was honestly nervous about impressing her, and she had three bowls and asked for the recipe written down. I've never seen her actually cook it but knowing she has the recipe somewhere feels like winning something.

The Truth About Roasting Peppers

The first time I roasted peppers I pulled them out thinking they looked burnt and almost threw them away, convinced I'd failed. My roommate at the time stopped me and explained that the blackened skin is exactly the point, that the charring is what concentrates all that sweet pepper flavor and makes the soup taste like something you didn't just throw together on a Tuesday. Watching those skins peel away so cleanly after that transformed how I thought about cooking, understanding that sometimes looking wrong is actually going right.

Why Harissa Changes Everything

Before harissa I made plenty of decent red pepper soups that tasted like, well, red pepper soup. Then I learned about harissa from a cookbook that was sitting in my kitchen practically unread, and one tablespoon of that complex chili paste turned something ordinary into something that made people stop and ask what they were eating. It's not just heat, it's this North African warmth with garlic and caraway and smoked paprika already built in, so you're getting layers of flavor that you'd normally have to build with five different ingredients.

Making This Meal Actually Come Together

The genius of this recipe is that your croutons bake while your soup simmers, so you're not standing around with all these moving parts. Get your oven preheated, slide in both the peppers and bread at strategic times, and by the time you're sautéing your aromatics, the peppers are almost done. It's one of those recipes where everything just flows.

• If your peppers look like they're on fire when you pull them out, that's the actual goal and means you nailed it.
• You can make the croutons up to a day ahead and keep them in an airtight container so they stay crispy, which is genuinely useful for lazy dinner nights.
• Coconut cream works beautifully if you're vegan or just avoiding dairy, and it adds this subtle richness that feels sophisticated rather than like a substitute.

Save

This soup has become the thing I make when I want to feel like I've actually cooked something, and it tastes expensive and complicated when it's really just patience and good ingredients. Make it once and you'll understand why my neighbor showing up with those peppers felt like a gift.

Recipe Questions & Answers

→ Can I roast the peppers ahead of time?

Yes, roast and peel the peppers up to 2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

→ How do I make this dairy-free?

Simply substitute the heavy cream with coconut cream or omit it entirely. The soup remains rich and flavorful without dairy.

→ Can I use jarred roasted peppers instead?

Absolutely. Use about 2 cups of drained jarred roasted red peppers to save time, though fresh roasted peppers offer deeper flavor.

→ What can I use instead of harissa?

Substitute with a mix of red pepper flakes and a touch of tomato paste, or use sriracha for a different heat profile.

→ How should I store leftovers?

Store soup and croutons separately in airtight containers. The soup keeps for 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen; croutons stay crisp for 2 days at room temperature.

→ Can I make the croutons gluten-free?

Yes, use your favorite gluten-free bread. The cubes crisp up beautifully when tossed with olive oil and seasonings.