This is a simple roasted red pepper and tomato soup that’s full of flavor. It’s warm, smooth, and perfect for lunch or dinner. Served with crispy ciabatta toast and pepper butter, it feels fancy but is easy to make at home.

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Ingredients Needed:

For the sweet red pepper and tomato soup:

2 red peppers
2 banana shallots, halved and trimmed
500g/1lb 2oz plum tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
450ml/16fl oz chicken or vegetable stock, hot

For the ciabatta toast:

100g/3½oz jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
75g/2½oz butter, at room temperature
1 ciabatta loaf, cut into slices

How To Make Tomato And Red Pepper Soup Recipe?

Preheat the oven: set it to 200C.
Roast the vegetables: Place the shallots (cut side down), plum tomatoes, and garlic cloves on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until soft.
Char and peel the peppers: hold the red peppers over a gas flame until the skin is black. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and let them sit for 1–2 minutes. Peel off the skin, rinse under water, remove seeds, and set aside.
Cook the soup base: melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the roasted shallots, garlic, and peeled peppers. Pour in the hot stock and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend the soup: use a stick blender to blend everything until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and keep it warm.
Make the pepper butter: in a bowl, mix the jarred roasted red peppers, chives, and soft butter. Shape it into a log using cling film and set aside.
Toast the ciabatta: heat a griddle pan. Drizzle the ciabatta slices with olive oil and toast both sides for 1–2 minutes until grill marks show.
Serve: pour the soup into bowls and top the warm ciabatta with the pepper butter. Enjoy while hot.

James Martin Tomato And Red Pepper Soup Recipe

Recipe Tips:

Roast everything well: make sure the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots are fully roasted and soft. This brings out a sweet, deep flavor in the soup.
Remove pepper skins completely: after charring the red peppers, peel off all the black skin. This makes the soup smooth and removes any bitter taste.
Use a stick blender carefully: blend the soup slowly until it’s completely smooth. If you rush, the texture might stay chunky.
Use hot stock only: always add hot chicken or vegetable stock to the pan. Cold stock will stop the cooking process and make the flavors less rich.
Don’t skip the pepper butter: the flavored butter on the ciabatta adds a creamy, herby taste that balances the soup perfectly. It makes a big difference.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

Refrigerate: Let the soup cool to room temperature first. Then put it in a closed container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: once it’s cool, place the soup in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat: pour the soup into a pot and warm over medium heat. Stir often and heat until it’s hot all the way through.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 210 kcal
Total Fat: 14g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 480mg
Potassium: 640mg
Total Carbohydrate: 16g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 3g

Try More James Martin Recipes:

James Martin Slow-cooked Brisket Recipe
James Martin Pea And Ham Soup Recipe

James Martin Tomato And Red Pepper Soup Recipe

Course: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

Ingredients

For the sweet red pepper and tomato soup:
2 red peppers
2 banana shallots, halved and trimmed
500g/1lb 2oz plum tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
450ml/16fl oz chicken or vegetable stock, hot
For the ciabatta toast:
100g/3½oz jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
75g/2½oz butter, at room temperature
1 ciabatta loaf, cut into slices

Directions

Preheat the oven: set it to 200C.
Roast the vegetables: Place the shallots (cut side down), plum tomatoes, and garlic cloves on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until soft.
Char and peel the peppers: hold the red peppers over a gas flame until the skin is black. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and let them sit for 1–2 minutes. Peel off the skin, rinse under water, remove seeds, and set aside.
Cook the soup base: melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the roasted shallots, garlic, and peeled peppers. Pour in the hot stock and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend the soup: use a stick blender to blend everything until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and keep it warm.
Make the pepper butter: in a bowl, mix the jarred roasted red peppers, chives, and soft butter. Shape it into a log using cling film and set aside.
Toast the ciabatta: heat a griddle pan. Drizzle the ciabatta slices with olive oil and toast both sides for 1–2 minutes until grill marks show.
Serve: pour the soup into bowls and top the warm ciabatta with the pepper butter. Enjoy while hot.

Notes

Roast everything well: make sure the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots are fully roasted and soft. This brings out a sweet, deep flavor in the soup.
Remove pepper skins completely: after charring the red peppers, peel off all the black skin. This makes the soup smooth and removes any bitter taste.
Use a stick blender carefully: blend the soup slowly until it’s completely smooth. If you rush, the texture might stay chunky.
Use hot stock only: always add hot chicken or vegetable stock to the pan. Cold stock will stop the cooking process and make the flavors less rich.
Don’t skip the pepper butter: the flavored butter on the ciabatta adds a creamy, herby taste that balances the soup perfectly. It makes a big difference.