Easy Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

This roasted red pepper bisque is the absolute business. Vegan, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant, thick and warming with complex smoky flavors and a hint of sweetness, it just begs to be paired with good crusty bread for dipping.

It is, FYI, absolutely awesome with some crusty vegan soda bread or toasted tomato bread. It is not the quickest recipe, as you need to roast the main ingredients, but it’s very hands-off and SO worth it.

I’m sure everyone is familiar with regular roasted red pepper soup, which is nice but lacks a bit of depth. Try this creamy bisque instead with roasted peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, and pears and you’ll never go back.

If the weather is a bit nippy where you are, and has put you deep into soup-and-hibernation mode, I also highly recommend my vegan hot and sour soup, easy creamy vegan tomato soup, or some comforting lemon lentil soup.

Where did I get the idea for this bisque?

I was never really into roasted red pepper bisque or soup, until Handsome Husband and I were over in Ireland for our wedding, at a tasting for the menu.

For starters, I was recommended a red pepper fig bisque and I was sooo glad later that I had ordered it.

My husband is allergic to figs so sadly he couldn’t try it. Afterwards, I couldn’t stop thinking about that amazing bisque. I had to have it.

I used pears instead of figs to sweeten the bisque so my allergic husband could also enjoy it. And also, because I later discovered the relationship between figs and wasps (GROSS).

Substitute apples for the pears if you are stuck, or if you don’t particularly like pears. Full disclosure, I don’t love the graininess of pears, so if I’m making this for myself I always use apples instead of pears.

How to make it

As the name roasted red pepper bisque suggests, well, obviously there is a bit of roasting involved.

Ironically, I roast nearly everything – except the red peppers, I’m contrary like that – I hate skinning peppers, so this is one situation where I recommend using the premade canned or bottled kind. 

Roasting the other vegetables really contributes to the flavor and gives this bisque much more depth.

I am all for toying and experimenting with recipes, but please do not substitute the smoked spicy paprika with sweet paprika – it just won’t work.

Also, sweet paprika is the worst weakest claggiest tasting spice ever and should only be used in Paprikash, and Peri Peri sauce.

In an oven that has been preheated to 220C/ 200C Fan (430F/395F Fan), pop all the items for roasting (cherry tomatoes, onions, pears, garlic cloves) onto a sheet pan that has been lined with aluminum foil and then baking paper.

The baking paper will make sure nothing sticks, and the aluminum foil layer will make sure no juices escape and burn on the pan (less clean up!).

Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over everything use your hands to get in there and make sure everything is well-coated.

The cherry tomatoes can be whole, slice the onions and pears in half without peeling place face down, and scatter the garlic cloves throughout (don’t peel them either).

It’s much easier to remove the onion, pear, and garlic skins after roasting, and leaving the skins on prevents any tough or burnt layers from forming on the outside of the fruit and vegetables.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, using the onions as a barometer for doneness – they should be very soft.

In the meantime prep the remaining ingredients. Rinse and drain the roasted jarred red peppers and add to a blender along with the paprika, cayenne, stock cube, salt, and almonds. Blitz until perfectly smooth.

I use pre-ground almonds to make the bisque smooth but if you have faith in your blender (I don’t), you can use whole-skinned almonds.

When the roasted fruit and veg are ready, take them out and leave them to cool enough until you can safely handle them without getting burnt.

Squeeze the roasted onion out of its skin into the blender, chop off the end of the garlic cloves, and do the same.

Peel the roasted pears, core them, and add them along with the roasted cherry tomatoes and any pan juices to the blender and blend until smooth.

(Depending on the size of your blender you may need to do this into batches)

Add the pureed fruit and veg to the pot with the red pepper puree along with one and a half cups of water (360ml), mix, and heat until serving temperature.

Serve your delicious homemade roasted red pepper bisque with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and crusty bread.

This bisque freezes very well and will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, I regularly double it up when making it.

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