Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup!! Packed with slow roasted red bell peppers, potatoes, celery and onions, this soup is just the thing you need to fill you up on a cold day. Comfort in a bowl right here.
As we are getting ready to move into colder weather here in the Midwest and the “frozen tundra” of a winter we’re going to have. . (my friend said this). . I have to think back and remind myself the reasons why we decided to move here to Wisconsin. It was between sunny Florida and Madison, Wisconsin. . did I ever tell you that?
Anyway, our top three reasons were:
1) Better job for my husband at a more stable, established company
2) Very manageable cost of living
3) Living only 4.5 hrs away from my sister, who lives in Minnesota
So, when we made our decision and knew that Madison was going to be our new home, I called my sister and this was the advice she gave me: buy a thick winter coat, not a pretty one but one that would keep me warm. Buy a really good snow blower and learn how to use a shovel and then she proceeded to talk my head off about this store called Discount 70 (where they sell random, awesome stuff for cheap (my husband and my brother-in-law always go there every time we visit Minnesota)) and ALDI, the grocery store chain, which is apparently my sister’s favorite place to shop.
My sister is the smart shopper, the money saver. . and I mean, come on, who doesn’t like saving money?
So, we made the move and because I’m a food blogger and go grocery shopping like 3-4 times a week, I know my stores like the back of my hand now.
I like our ALDI here in Madison because it’s clean, the people who work there are really nice people, it’s smaller, and you are able to run in and out with no fuss. They also do not even have plastic shoppings bags so I love that they make you remember your re-useable grocery bags. I recently stocked up on some herbs and spices . . which, at ALDI are only 99 cents each. 99 cents each!! It’s a no brainer for me to buy my pantry staples here.
And just a few baking essentials which were half the price. . . because these days, I’m baking more than usual and when it comes to saving money, every penny counts. I can’t tell you how much pure canned pumpkin I’ve purchased since September. . and we’re not even in November yet!
And because it’s fall and I’m all about soup these days, I made some roasted red bell pepper soup. . inspired by the display of roasted red bell peppers that greeted me when I walked into ALDI.
There’s nothing better to me than a big bowl of warm roasted red bell pepper soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s food like this, my friends, that will help me get through the winter. It simply has to.
I hope you enjoy . . and if you have an ALDI in your area, check it out, yo!! Mostly all of the ingredients I used for this soup (I already had salt, pepper, olive oil and cilantro at home) was purchased at my local ALDI.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ red onion, peeled and chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1½, 12 -ounce jars roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
- 4 to 5 sun-dried tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- Special equipment suggested: immersion blender
- Using a large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, celery, onions and season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes begin to soften, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth (or vegetable broth) and 1 cup water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Pour in the heavy cream and mix well. Cover halfway and and let simmer, until the potatoes are tender, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and using your immersion blender, puree and blend until smooth. I like to leave a little chunkiness for texture. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with some cilantro and serve.
Recipe adapted from The Food Network
Disclosure: This post is in partnership with ALDI’s Holiday Blogger Ambassador Program. This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
Best combination of simple, good, flavours! I love red peppers and who could ever say no to a grilled cheese sandwich! 🙂
Thanks so much, Alice!!
What?! You gave up moving to Florida 🙁 Oh well, at least you live near an ALDI! I would love to get my hands on some of those roasted red bell peppers because this soup looks amazing!
I could eat soup every single day, and this one looks amazing! Add this to my line up.
An Aldi recently opened here in NYC and I’m hooked!
This is such a warm and cozy soup!!It is FREEZING here today and I definitely need a bowl!
Love Aldi. And I love the looks of this soup. Sounds scrumptious!
Have a wonderful Monday!
I am in awe – y’all chose Wisconsin over Florida! If I had had to move to Wisconsin, I’m thinking I would have to be a bear and hibernate all winter or move into an Aldi or have a heated IV filled with this gorgeous soup – hmmm…that last one is making Wisconsin not sound so bad after all 🙂
Your sister is a very brilliant woman coming from this fellow Minnesotan. Sometimes you go for practical and not pretty for winter attire! I would love to warm up with a big bowl of this soup this winter!
This is just incredible! I’ve been waiting for the recipe since the preview on IG!!
A big bowl of this soup and a grilled cheese…nothing better this time of year!
I think I would choose WI over FL any day! I love seasons too much to go to perpetual sun, as lovely as that sounds sometimes. 🙂 I love living in the Seattle area, but I am so over how expensive it is. Food prices are ridiculous! Whenever we go to visit my mother in law in Idaho I’m just stunned at how much more affordable everything is. It’s so lovely you have such a great store with such fantastic pricing where you are..I’m very jealous.. 🙂 We are full on rain this week, so this soup looks especially divine!
Awww didn’t know that you’re debating between FL and WI, but I’m glad you made the right choice. Roasted red bell pepper soup sounds like a good idea. That reminds me how I miss wearing thick jacket.
Red bell peppers are one of my favorite ingredients! I love love love this soup, Alice! I think you made the right decision in choosing WI! I love it there!
Thank you Justine! Everyone who has been here (lived or visited) seems to like it. . . so that’s a good sign! 🙂
I am not looking forward to the cold winter again either but thankfully I will now have this soup to look forward to on those chilly nights 🙂 It looks so incredible, Alice! I can never get enough of roasted red peppers and it sounds perfect with the grilled cheese!
That soup looks incredible! Perfect for our chilly weather here in Indiana.
~Liz@HoosierHomemade
The beautiful color of this soup is intoxicating! I would love a comforting bowl.
I have yet to make it to ALDI and explore. I have heard a lot of good things about it and now that you’re recommending it, I definitely have to go. Gosh, red bell pepper soup. This sounds incredible!
Roasted red pepper soup is my fave and I love that side of grilled cheese! 🙂
Red pepper soup and grilled cheese sound like the perfect combination. This looks awesome!
Made this tonight. Very good. A little bland for me but a couple of dashes of Tobasco worked well. Maybe next time I’ll roast fresh red peppers and add a couple of red jalapeños. In any event thanks for your easy and delicious recipe.
Hi Paul!! Sounds great. . yeah, I tend to stay on the more “less spicy” side when cooking for my kids. . my husband also added some tabasco so not offended at all. and yes, roasted fresh red bell peppers is always better when you have the time and the jalapenos sound fabulous! Thank you for the comment! 🙂
I have yet to visit Aldi! We have a couple by me, I really need to pop in! This soup looks so beautiful…love the color. I have never made roasted red pepper soup but I know I would love it.
Hey Alice – thanks for the recipe. I loooove red peppers and it’s such a season for a deep, hearty soup. Also – love ALDI, we have a few here (DC), and you can always get brands you can’t get everywhere else. In addition, they are a great company to work for (according to their staff). And the prices are also amazing.
Can we use fresh red peppers? They were on sale at Whole Foods last night for .97 each! So I’m hunting for good recipes 😉 thanks!
Yes, definitely, but you will need to roast them! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-red-peppers-recipe.html
Did you use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil? Were you able to find those at Aldi?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Kristen, yes, I used sun dried tomatoes packed in oil .. I believe I did get them from ALDI but it may be an item that they don’t carry all the time. I hope you try it! Thank you for the comment! 🙂
This looks yummy! I will try this soon! Have a great weekend!!!