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Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Basil Bisque is the ultimate cozy, veggie-packed soup!! Perfect for lunch, dinner, or even as a warming side on a chilly day. Creamy, comforting, and completely dairy-free, this soup is packed with nutrients and flavor. It’s a healthy, satisfying way to enjoy your vegetables while feeling indulgent at the same time!
Even though my brain is still thinking summer salads and fresh veggies, my body is ready for cozy flavors!! This soup bridges both seasons beautifully, featuring bright summer ingredients like red bell peppers, tomatoes, and fresh basil, but with all the comfort of fall in every spoonful!! After a few months without making soup, this was the first one I tried and it’s perfect!!
What You’ll Love About This Soup
- Dairy-Free Creaminess: The cauliflower makes it rich without any cream!!
- Veggie-Packed: Every spoonful is full of roasted peppers, tomatoes, and basil for flavor and nutrition.
- Cozy Comfort: Perfect for chilly mornings, lunches, or dinner!!
- Family-Friendly: Even picky eaters won’t know it’s dairy-free or packed with extra veggies.
- Quick and Easy: Ready in under an hour with mostly simple ingredients you probably already have.
Helpful Tips
- Make Ahead: Roast the peppers and tomatoes a day in advance to save time.
- Blending: Use an immersion blender for easy cleanup or a high-speed blender for extra silky smooth texture.
- Add Protein: Toss in cooked shrimp, chicken, or sausage for a heartier meal.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat gently over low heat to prevent separating.
- Customize: Swap cauliflower for cooked sweet potato for a slightly sweeter, creamy version.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Basil Bisque
You might be wondering how a bisque can be creamy without dairy. The secret? Cauliflower!! This versatile veggie not only adds nutrition but also makes the soup perfectly creamy and silky. Trust me, if you’re unsure about cauliflower, you won’t even notice. It blends seamlessly into the soup. As a nutritionist, I love recipes that sneak in extra veggies while keeping the taste amazing. My family had no idea this bisque was dairy-free!!
Step 1: Roast the Veggies
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice the red bell peppers in half, remove stems and seeds, and lightly brush with oil. Toss the tomatoes in a little oil as well. Place the peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes or until slightly blistered and golden on top.
Step 2: Saute the Base
While the veggies roast, heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil, then sauté diced onion for 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Toss in chopped cauliflower and cook briefly.
Step 3: Simmer
Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers, tomatoes, and a pinch of sea salt to the pot.
Step 4: Blend Until Creamy
Add fresh basil to the soup. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Step 5: Serve and Enjoy
Garnish with fresh basil if desired and serve hot!! This bisque is delicious on its own, but you can also add cooked shrimp, chicken, or sausage for extra protein if you like. It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, making it perfect for meal prep.
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Basil Bisque
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes
- 3 tbsp avocado oil , divided
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the veggies: slice the bell pepper in half and remove stems and seeds. Lightly brush the the outside with oil. Gently toss the tomatoes in a bit of oil. Place bell peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
- While veggies are roasting, heat a large soup pot with 1 tbsp oil. Saute onion for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Toss in the cauliflower.
- Pour broth in the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 7-8 minutes. Add the sea salt, and the bell peppers and tomatoes to the pot whenever they are done roasting.
- Add fresh basil to the pot. Using an immersion blender or a blender, blend until smooth.
- Garnish with fresh basil (optional). Serve hot!
This recipe sounds amazing, however it wouldn’t technically be a Bisque. Because Bisque, when not referring to the traditional French seafood soup that is made from strained crustaceans, i.e. lobster, langoustine (scampi), shrimp, crab or crawfish, sautéed in their shells, is specifically made from pre-cooked puréed ingredients that are mixed with heavy cream or whole milk in order to produce a rich, creamy soup. When made with broth or stock, it’s simply a soup. Some traditionalist argue that Tomato Bisque isn’t technically a true bisque at all because it is not made with nor does it have any crustaceans in it. However the term “bisque” has evolved in modern days to also refer to cream-based soups. So basically, broth and stock equals soup and cream or whole milk equals bisque.
THIS WAS AMAZING!
We loved this recipe and will definitely make it again. And the fact that I could make it vegan was really great. Thank you so much.
This sounds amazing! I’ve got picky kids who love tomato soup, but would likely sniff out the red pepper and refuse to eat it. ???? If I were to drop down to one or one and a half bell pepper, would you increase the tomato by 1 or 2 cups?
I would increase by 2 cups to help balance out!