A silky soup of oven-roasted red pepper and garlic, brought together with sage-infused broth, without cream or flour.
A red pepper softens and collapses in the oven while a head of garlic roasts in its skin, filling the kitchen with a sweet, toasted aroma. Blended with sage-infused broth, they make a silky soup without cream, flour or starch. Allow about 45 minutes of cooking time for one bowl of this low-carb soup. This recipe joins my collection of keto soups and salads.
What is roasted pepper soup?
Roasted pepper soup starts with a simple idea: give a red pepper time to develop a concentrated flavor in the oven before blending it with a flavorful liquid. Its skin wrinkles, its flesh softens and its flavor becomes sweeter than when boiled. Fans of silky vegetable soups will find a version here that keeps things simple.
The roasted, peeled pepper forms the base of the soup, while the flesh of a head of garlic cooked in its skin adds a mellow sweetness. The broth provides the liquid base, salt and a touch of umami: use chicken, beef or bone broth, or even powdered stock dissolved in 250 ml of water. The body comes from the vegetables themselves, without potatoes or cream.
A base of roasted pepper and garlic
Roasting the pepper before blending makes all the difference: the dry heat softens the flesh, concentrates the flavor and makes the skin easier to remove. Wash and dry the pepper thoroughly to avoid adding water, and leave the stem attached during cooking to make it easier to hold afterward. After resting for 5 to 10 minutes, it will be easier to handle.
Leave the head of garlic in its skin: oil the cut surfaces, wrap it in aluminum foil, then roast until the cloves can be squeezed into a purée. The sage complements the aromas of the roasted vegetables without overpowering the pepper. The creamy texture comes from the blended pepper and garlic, not from a thickener.
The main ingredients
One red pepper provides the color, the main flavor and the body of the soup. After roasting, its skin comes off easily and its flesh becomes tender enough to give the soup body when blended. Remove the skin and seeds to avoid leaving bits in a soup that should be perfectly smooth.
A head of garlic roasted in its skin becomes tender and almost sweet, milder than raw garlic, and can be squeezed out once cooked through. The 250 ml of chicken, beef or bone broth carry the flavors and provide salt and umami; its quality matters all the more with such a short ingredient list.
One teaspoon of dried sage or three fresh leaves complement the sweetness of the pepper with an herbal note. Half a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil adds flavor and helps the cut surfaces of the garlic cook without drying out. A small amount is enough, since the texture does not depend on fat.
Cooking tips and serving
Allow 45 minutes at 200 °C. The pepper should come out collapsed, with wrinkled skin that has separated from the flesh and a few browned patches that deepen the roasted flavor; the garlic should yield when pressed with a finger. Then add the broth and sage, bring to a boil, and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and pourable.
Use the same roasted peppers to make my roasted pepper pesto rosso.
To spice things up, try my homemade harissa.
For everyday keto cooking, find all my low-carb recipes here.
Serve piping hot, without any strongly flavored garnish that would overpower the pepper. For a complete low-carb meal, add eggs, chicken breasts or a cabbage salad. One serving provides 8 g of net carbs; the soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container, reheated in a saucepan and frozen in portions.
Roasted Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 250 ml chicken broth (or chicken bone broth)
- or beef broth (or beef bone broth)
- or bone broth powder with 250 ml water
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried sage or 3 fresh sage leaves
- 0.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Roast the pepper and garlic in its skin
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Wash the pepper and pat it dry. Simply leave the stem in place so you can pick up the pepper later.1 red bell pepper
- Remove the outer skins from the head of garlic, but leave all the cloves attached and intact. Slice off the tops of all the cloves. Drizzle a little oil over the cut surfaces. Wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil.1 head garlic, 0.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Place the pepper in the ovenproof dish. Place the wrapped head of garlic beside it. Put in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.
Soup
- Remove the dish from the oven after 45 minutes and let cool. It takes just 5 to 10 minutes before you can continue without burning your hands.
- Peel the pepper. Remove the seeds. Rinse under running water if needed. Place in the soup pot.
- Squeeze the garlic out of its skins and add it to the pepper.
- Add the broth and sage and bring to a boil.250 ml chicken broth (or chicken bone broth), or beef broth (or beef bone broth), or bone broth powder, 1 teaspoon dried sage
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
