Creamy Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

I'm not a huge fan of tomato soup.  My husband grew up on it. Tomatoes are easy to grow and easy to can. It's a cheap way to make soup.  For a family watching their budget it was the go to meal.  I remember his mom making it but not eating.  She had had her fill of it.  The rest of the family still enjoys a bowl full on occasion.  Whether you likes yours with croutons, grilled cheese sandwiches or maybe cheese quesadillas, this soup will hit the spot!

Roasting the vegetables gives it little bits of  burnt, slightly caramelized edges.  It adds a flavor cooking in a pot on the stove doesn't.  If you're thinking "I've seen something like this on your blog before."  You have.  My Roasted Marinara Sauce starts off much the same way.  The difference is the type of bell pepper and the amount of them is less.  They are spread out more so it is is a thicker soup with less juices to dump off.   

A fancy blender will give you a smoother soup but you can still do well with an immersion blender, food processor or regular style blender.  Check out my tips at the bottom for your type of appliance.

Creamy Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup                          Printable Recipe

2 pounds roma tomatoes, deseeded and quartered
1 small onion, cut onto chunks

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

olive oil
1⁄2 cup milk (2% or whole)
1⁄2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes, red peppers, and onions pieces onto a cookie sheet with sides. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Blend roasted vegetables, broth and milk.  See notes at the bottom for tips on the vegetable skins and blending.

Taste a little bit and add your seasonings as you like.

The soup turns a beautiful dark orange color.  I topped my own with a little bit of Parmesan. 

Now, about those pesky tomato and red pepper skins....

Each appliance is different.  You may have to try a batch so you know how yours blends (or doesn't) the skins on the tomatoes and red peppers.  After making marinara I know my immersion blender isn't the best choice but my processor does a better job.  It still has skins and seeds but they are smaller.  My fancy blender pulverizes them all. 

If you just can't get the skins to disappear you can skin your veggies.

Removing skins from the tomatoes:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile slice a shallow "X" in the bottom. Fill a bowl with ice and water and set it next to the stove. Working in batches, drop several tomatoes into the boiling water. Watch for their skins to start to split, 30 to 60 seconds.  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the ice water bath. Once easy to hand, remove the tomatoes to a cutting board. Use a paring knife to peel back the tomato skins. Cut into hunks and put on baking sheet.

OR Remove seeds and roast as usual, leaving them in larger chunks.  When they are done cooking the skin should pull right off. 

Removing skins from the red peppers:

Roast as usual, leaving the peppers in larger pieces.  When they are done roasting, place in a plastic bag and seal it. Set aside. Wait 15 to 20 minutes. The peppers should be cool enough to handle and the skins will easily peel off.

Blending HOT soups...
My fancy blender has vent holes to allow the pressure of the heat out while it blends.  If your blender has a removable plastic cap in the middle of your lid, tilt it so it has a little vent.  Cover with paper towel in case any splashes up and out.  You can also opt to let your veggies cool, blend it all, then heat in the sauce pan.