Soup season is definitely here and do I ever have a tasty one to share with you today, a creamy roasted cauliflower and red pepper soup! The original idea behind this soup was for a creamy roasted red pepper soup but I figured that I would keep things a little on the healthier side by using pureed cauliflower to add the creaminess and to help thicken the soup up a bit. Roasted red peppers and cauliflower are a great combo and another thing that I like to combine with roasted red peppers is tangy goat cheese which also further adds to the creaminess of the soup. Like a lot of great soups, this one is super easy to make where you really just need to roast the red peppers and cauliflower, saute some onions, add the broth and goat cheese, and heat up before pureeing. I added one final touch to the soup and that was a bit of paprika to add a hint of smokiness!
I know what a few of you are thinking right about now and that is: “But Kevin, where is the bacon?” and fear not as this soup is also amazing topped with a mixture of crispy fried pancetta, sauteed apples and crispy croutons. To make this topping simply cook the pancetta in a pan until crispy followed by cooking the apples in the same pan until tender and caramelized and then toss the some diced day old bread in the pancetta drippings and toast them until crispy.
Of course it is always nice to get some extra goat cheese in there by sprinkling some on top as well!
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup with Goat Cheese
A creamy roasted red pepper and cauliflower soup with tangy melted goat cheese!
ingredients
- 4 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeds removed
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down, broil until the skins are blackened, about 10 minutes, place in a sealable container and let ‘steam’ for 20 minutes before pinching the skins off and dicing.
- Meanwhile, toss the cauliflower in the oil, place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until tender and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes, mixing once in the middle.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the roasted red peppers, cauliflower, broth, paprika and goat cheese and simmer for 10 minutes before pureeing to the desired consistency with a hand blender.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with goat cheese.
Option: Use jarred or frozen roasted red peppers to save some time.
Option: Use a can of white beans as the thickener instead of the cauliflower.
Option: Replace one cup of broth with cream or milk.
Creamy Mushroom and Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup
Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Quinoa Salad in Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo Pasta
Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Mac n Cheese
Roasted Cauliflower and Red Pepper Farro Salad
Roasted Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Creamy Roasted Asparagus and Brie Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower Chowder
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Goat Cheese Skillet Chicken
Creamy Curried Coconut Carrot Soup
Chickpea and Red Pepper Paprika
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Asiago Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup
Asiago Cauliflower and Quinoa Chowder
Roasted Carrot and Tahini Soup with Pomegranate and Pistachios
Rosemary and Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup
Asparagus Soup
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A beautiful soup! Very tasty and comforting.
Cheers,
Rosa
Aimee @ Simple Bites says
Love this soup and that topping really puts it over the top!
Heather Christo says
every ingredient in this soup is up my alley. I love it for these cold stormy nights we are having!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Kevin, I need to try this, it looks amazing!
Jean Heys says
Soup looks amazing – will be making soon!
Note that Chinese comment above is inappropriate.
Amy Alt says
great soup idea! i love the cauliflower puree you normally get served with scallops plus goats cheese and sweet red pepper – delicious
Joy Bodwell says
Made this for dinner tonight, and it was incredible! The crumbled goat cheese and bacon/apple/crouton topping was divine! I'm always worried that soups on its own won't ever be filling enough for dinner, but this one was both light, AND hearty! You have become a household name for us the past year. "This is one of Kevin's favorite recipes"…"Kevin says to cook it this way, or try it with this ingredient." Thank you for always providing us with recipes we already know well love!! -Joy and Andrew
kevin says
Joy and Andrew: Wow, that was fast! I am glad that you enjoyed it! I always enjoy doing a soup like this with a salad for light fall and winter meals!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says
I love how colorful this soup looks, and I'm sure it tastes wonderful as well. I want it for dinner tomorrow, please! x
Aimee says
OH MY YUMMM!! Looks delicious and can't wait to make it!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This soup needs to appear in my kitchen ASAP! YUM!
JKW says
Where do you find 'smoked paprika' ?
kevin says
JKW: You should be able to find it in higher end grocery stores next to the regular paprika and it could come in sweet and hot varieties.
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
This looks so, so good!! I wish I had a big bowl in front of me now for dinner. And that goat cheese on top is divine. Love this Kevin!
Angie says
Looks like a great soup for a fall evening.
Jodee Weiland says
This looks wonderful…hearty and creamy…full of flavor! Love it!
SK says
This made me utter a whole STRING of swear words, but in a good way. (There IS a good way, ya know.) *lol*
SK says
This made me utter a whole STRING of swear words, but in a good way. (There IS a good way, ya know.) *lol*
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
What a cozy soup! And the goat cheese – yes! I add that to almost everything!
Joanne says
Roasted red pepper always sounds good to me! So much great flavor in this!
Lisa says
I don't like goat cheese, but everything else sounds wonderful…I'll give it a try this weekend, sans cheese!
marla says
Love this soup Kevin!
Simi J says
gorgeous! this is something i could eat all day, the texture, the color, the aroma…i can smell the aroma thru my iMac! making this asap
Anonymous says
I made this soup for lunch today… it is a rainy grey day and this soup was just the right thing. The taste is really special and distinctive. And the texture is delicious. Yuuummm! Thank you for sharing the recipe. 😀
Petra
Anonymous says
Maybe I missed something but is there a step missing for adding to the broth? Im sure its obvious but Im a homemade soup rookie! lol
kevin says
Anonymous: The broth is added in step 5. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Where do you get the 30 carbs from?
kevin says
Anonymous: The carbs are mostly (90%) from the red pepper and the cauliflower:
Michelle says
How many jars of peppers and how many cans of beans replace the cauliflower
kevin says
Michelle: You want about a cup of diced roasted red peppers and 1 (15 ounce) can of white beans. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Kevin,
Thank you for a well written and lovely recipe. I made this today and was delighted with the complexity of flavors.
Char Andrews says
Kevin, will Spanish paprika do? Also, what kind of bread do you think works well with this recipe?
kevin says
Char Andrews: Spanish paprika will work! I always enjoy a simple baguette with soups like this either fresh or toasted. Enjoy!
Lauren Andersen says
i really want to make this. i noticed you have the calories and that this serves 4, but do you know how many oz/grams/cups are in one serving to equal 328 cal?
kevin says
Lauren Andersen: 1 1/2 cups per serving
Anonymous says
Here is my lunch for the week! Thanks for the recipe.
Sharlene says
Thank you for this recipe!. I have been looking for a Roasted Red Pepper soup with a little something extra that wouldn't take over the red pepper. Can't wait to try it.
Michelle says
This is a delicious way to eat my veggies! Thank you for this recipe!
Michelle says
P.S. This was my first time using smoked paprika. So glad I decided to buy it! I am a big fan now! Yum!
Anonymous says
I just made this soup and I feel as if the flavour is lacking… I am pretty sure I did everything right…
Anonymous says
I have made this three times now and portioned it up for lunches, and I'm not tired of it yet. I've been garnishing with a little feta and some pepitas and it is just so good. Thank you for this great recipe and all the other great ones you share!
Anonymous says
so when you said pinch off the skins of the red bell pepper, do we not use the skins in the soup (just throw them out? Making it right now and it already smells delish:)
kevin says
Anonymous: Yes, the skins are discarded.
Samantha says
Hi! Making the recipe now. May I ask why you discard the skins from the peppers? Thanks!
kevin says
The skins are discarded to allow the texture of the soup to be smoother, though you could leave them in. Enjoy!
GG says
I thought this soup was amazing! I substituted coconut oil for the olive oil, used 3 cups of homemade broth and 1 cup of coconut milk. I would be proud to serve this to company but I will happily be eating this pot up by myself! Thanks for sharing!
Caitlin Kenney says
This has become one of my go-to soups. The cauliflower base is amazing and I love how comforting and savory it is. We sometimes add shredded chicken.
Anonymous says
Eating this for lunch as we speak. Absolutely in love with this soup!
Anonymous says
Delicious! Quick question does this freeze well??
kevin says
Anonymous: Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it freezes well.
Anonymous says
I only have unripened goat cheese; can I use that for the recipe or is it calling for ripened?
kevin says
Anonymous : Unripened goat cheese is perfect!
Misskitty says
Made this for dinner last night. All I can say is yumm — o. Heaven in a bowl. Best way I know of to eat cauliflower.
kevin says
Misskitty: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Suzy says
I made this today and didn't realize the amount of carbs until I had it made…I was surprised. I think roasting the peppers brings out the natural sugars. I'll be having it tomorrow for dinner, and I know I'm gonna love it!
Anonymous says
Kevin, Thank you for the delicious recipe. I made it for my family and
was delighted.
Anonymous says
Kevin, Thank you for the delicious recipe. I made it for my family and
every body loved it.
Pamela Pick says
Do you actually blend the 4 ounces of goat cheese in with the soup? Then add a bit extra goat cheese in each individual bowl before serving?
Katherine Sharpen says
What sandwich would go with this soup
My email is [email protected]
vp says
I'd like to make this for a casual dinner party. Can you suggest some options for accompanying dishes
janezee says
Where I live now, red peppers are so very expensive, which breaks my pepper-lovin' heart. So, if you find yourself in a situation similar to mine, you might want to check out the food aisle at Dollar Tree. They almost always have roasted red peppers in a jar.
It's also delicious to make your own cream of tomato soup using tomato paste, roux, and milk, and mix in the pureed peppers. The paprika is fabulous, but I also love it with a dash of fish sauce and Thai sweet chili sauce. It's also great with hot Italian sausage. Damn, I'm hungry again. lol I just occurred to me to make the tomato soup with coconut milk, add the roasted pepper puree, and throw in a bunch of Thai basil and a couple of chilies that I just got Thursday.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Sarah Garone says
Hi Kevin! Our family tried this soup recently and enjoyed it so much, I wrote about it on my own food blog! (Linking recipe credit back to you, of course!) Thanks for a hearty, healthy keeper.
http://alovelettertofood.com/recipe/creamy-red-pepper-cauliflower-soup/
kevin says
Sarah Garone: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Unknown says
Can't wait to make this tonight! Plan on using fresh, roasted peppers. But should I need to sub bottled roasted peppers sometime down the road, what would be the equivalent to 4 peppers, how many/what size jars? I usually have 16 oz jars on hand. Thanks!
kevin says
Unknown: A 16oz jar should work!
Unknown says
Would you be able to freeze this soup? If so, what would the instructions be?
kevin says
Unknown: This soup freezes well, in a sealed container and then thawed in the fridge before reheating. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Made this soup and loved it. Hubby found the leftovers in the fridge and thought it was a hummus-like dip. Have to admit that was just as tasty!
Anonymous says
I can't wait to try this soup!
Jaymee says
Made this soup for lunches this week… It is AMAZING! Will surely be using this recipe again. Thank you!
Anna says
Made this and put in only half the goat cheese (2 oz), and I still found the goat cheese flavor overpowering. Disappointed!
Isabel says
I liked the soup, but I think it could use a little something to give it more complexity. Maybe another vegetable, a small carrot perhaps. The other thing is I think it’s unnecessary to cook each vegetable separately. I put the peppers (whole) and the onion (cut in eights) next to the cauliflower in the oven at 400 F for 40 minutes and everything cooked perfectly. Next time I’ll throw some garlic cloves in the oven as well.
Jane says
Love this soup…but what do you have on the top?
Bacon?
kevin says
Bacon is amazing as a garnish on this soup! The photos show a Spanish style chorizo sausage that I diced and fried!