This is the perfect soup for using up a bunch of peppers. The roasted rainbow peppers make for a soup that is delicious any time of the year, but with its hot spicy kick, it is guaranteed to warm up a chilly night!
It is simple and flavourful, boasting red, yellow, pepperito and chilli peppers which are roasted and charred to bring out their individual flavours before paired with coconut milk and tomatoes.
If possible, use homemade vegetable broth as it tastes the best, store-bought will also taste mighty fine.
Bell pepper soup with a kick
The recipe calls for sweet bell peppers, as well as a red chilli. The chilli adds some kick, but not too much heat as the creamy coconut milk and tomato tones the chilli to make it more family-friendly.
The mixture of red, yellow and green peppers gives a good balance to the flavour.
Pepper colours explained
All types of peppers are a part of the Capsicum family, which includes both the sweet peppers as well as the hot and spicy ones, often referred to as chilli peppers.
As peppers ripen, they tend to become less bitter and more sweet. The longer a pepper stays on the plant, the more sugar content it develops.
- Thus, a green bell pepper is the least sweet and the most bitter.
- Its pronounced earthy green flavour makes for a refreshing, crisp taste which makes them — as well as red peppers — a great pairing with tomato.
- Yellow and orange peppers are of a similar flavour. Red peppers are the sweetest of the sweet peppers.
- Pepperito peppers are small and sweeter than your average bell pepper, packing a flavour as bright and vibrant as their colours
Peppers: A nutritional powerhouse
Bell peppers are great for weight loss. They can fill out any dish without adding the calories and have a small amount of fat-burning capsaicin in them. Red peppers pack the most nutrition, because they’ve been on the vine longest.
Compared to green bell peppers, the red ones have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C. Yellow bell peppers are also packed with vitamin C (five times the recommended daily amount), niacin, and folate.
Does bell pepper soup freeze well?
Leftovers will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator and can easily be frozen. A good idea is to make two batches – one to serve for dinner, and one to freeze!
Toppings and sides
Garnish with fresh slivered basil, chopped red peppers and some of the leftover coconut milk. Serve with some crusty bread. Topping variations include croutons and Parmesan or plain shredded cheddar cheese.
Fragrant and Spicy Bell Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- virgin olive oil
- 6 large tomatoes – Cut in quarters
- 1 red onion, sliced in quarters
- 1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 4 Seedles pepperito peppers, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 1 red chilli, chopped and deseeded
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 cup good quality vegetable stock
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic – kept whole
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 tin coconut milk
- ½ cup red peppers, cut into cubes
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 338°F for a fan oven and 180°C / 325°F for a conventional oven.
- Place the vegetables in an oven dish; sprinkle with oil, mix well and place in the preheated oven until cooked through and charred.
- In a large pot or saucepan, saute the coriander seeds and black peppercorns in two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the roasted vegetables to the pot and mix through.
- Add the veggie stock and coconut milk. Adjust seasoning and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and let the soup cool slightly. Place a towel over the top of a blender.
- Blend the soup and then pour the pureed mixture into bowl.
- Garnish with fresh basil, chopped red peppers and coconut milk (optional).
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