Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

It’s officially Soup Season again, folks! And I am cheering! The other day I was thinking about how excited I am to get through the month of September because I LOVE OCTOBER. But then I thought, “Well, September isn’t so bad either.” The truth is, I just love autumn. The past few days it’s been extra chilly after weeks and weeks of intense dry heat. It rained for the first time in forever and I loved every minute. I even pulled my favorite sweater out of storage for the first time since early spring. Sigh. I just love the cold, cold nights and chilly mornings and sunny, warm afternoons. And I love soup, particularly this Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup.

September bridges summer and fall with a plethora of delicious veggies and fruit. (You can see what’s in season for September by clicking on the image above, or here to visit The Vintage Mixer.) We could almost solely subsist on peaches for every meal, but there are so many other yummy things to eat too.  See below for this month’s #EatSeasonal round-up. Soooo many tasty things to put on your September menus!

I’ve been a fan of roasted red peppers since the first time I tasted one years and years ago. They add spectacular flavor to any recipe, but soup is especially wonderful made with roasted red peppers. The problem is that sometimes the peppers by themselves make a thin soup. Most often you’ll probably see them pureed into bisque. I love bisque, but it’s a little too light for dinner on its own. So I added roasted sweet potatoes. That roast-y, toasty smell of red pepper being blistered in the hot oven was intoxicating as it mixed with the scent of the sweet potatoes getting all caramelized. I could hardly wait to puree everything into a creamy, thick soup.

I’ll admit that I was a little late to the Sweet Potato Party. It’s took a few years, but they really have won me over. I used to buy them around Thanksgiving and occasionally order sweet potato fries at a restaurant. But now I prepare them several times a week now for lunch and dinner. I was hesitant to use them in soup. Usually I would use butternut (which can be used here, by the way), but the sweetness of the sweet potatoes is incredible here. Roasting them just enhances their sweet flavor and if you let the sweet potatoes get really nice and brown in the oven, it makes the soup taste even more fantastic.

This soup really hit the spot. I added smoked paprika and cayenne, which made the soup spicy enough without being too overpowering. Both spices brought out the red pepper flavor in a big way. I also added a squeeze of fresh lemon to brighten things up. There’s more sweet potato than red pepper in the soup, and that’s intentional. I wanted the flavor of red pepper and the texture of a pureed sweet potatoes.

Cashew cream has become a fixture in my fridge. I love the creamy, richness it brings to any recipe. There’s a slight sweetness too. And it has all the mouth feel of heavy cream without adding dairy. I loved swirling it through the soup and adding a little more smoked paprika and a sprinkle of green onions. My only regret was not making a triple batch… You can substitute heavy cream or even thick coconut milk if you’re not a fan of cashew cream or don’t want to go to the trouble of making it. (Though you might become an addict like me if you do!)

And now for all the other delicious things you need to make this month:

Shredded Hoisin-Blackberry Chicken Tacos with Crunchy Slaw by Floating Kitchen

Raspberry Peach Hand Pies by Foodie Crush

Pumpkin Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce by Climbing Grier Mountain

Zucchini Banana Brownies by Kitchen Confidante

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash by Cookin’ Canuck

Classic Carrot Cake by Vintage Mixer

Easy Roasted Vegetable Spaghetti by Simple Bites

Peach and Arugula Pizza by Letty’s Kitchen

Thai Carrot Cucumber Noodle Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing by Flavor the Moments

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry by Well Plated

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing by Mountain Mama Cooks

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

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A creamy, pureed soup made from roasted red peppers and sweet potatoes.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• Salt and pepper
• For garnish: cashew sour cream, sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the sweet potatoes, pepper slices, diced onion, and unpeeled garlic in an even layer. Drizzle with avocado oil. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 20-35 minutes, or until the veggies are soft. Remove from oven. Pop the garlic out of the skins. Transfer the veggies to a blender. Add the vegetable broth and puree until smooth. Transfer to a pot and add the smoked paprika and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Turn off heat. Taste and add more salt, if needed, and cayenne, to taste.
3. Ladle into bowls and top with cashew sour cream, green onions, and an extra sprinkle of paprika.

• Author: Lindsey Johnson
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins