One of my favourite winter meals is Sweet Potato Capsicum Soup. It’s not just the comfort from a warm bowl of soup but also the combination of flavours that give you the warmth that you need on a cold winters day. Of course I’m in South Africa and it is summer, but I can assure you that this soup would taste just as good.
SWEET POTATO AND RED PEPPER SOUP
My Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup is so comforting to eat and full of vibrant flavours. The delicious vegetables are seasoned and roasted to perfection then blended with vegetable stock, producing a smooth, comforting bowl of soup that is both vegan and gluten-free.
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE:
Aside from being delicious, this Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup is full of nutrients.
You’ll love this recipe because:
- When you are short on time, this soup is quick and easy to prepare.
- It is great to have on hand – it freezes well, so you can have some ready to go for when you are in need of a quick lunch or dinner!
- The quantities of the ingredients can easily be adjusted to make a bigger batch.
- It is vegan and gluten-free, so suitable for many dietary requirements.
INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Red Capsicums/Bell Pepper and Sweet Potato – our flavour base for the soup. We roast them for extra depth of flavour and sweetness.
Brown/yellow onion – indispensable as a flavour base in this soup.
Olive oil – to roast the vegetables.
Vegetable stock – you can make your own or use a commercial variety.
Dried Oregano – works well with the vegetables and adds great flavour to the soup.
Sea salt and pepper – to taste.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
- Prepare your vegetables and put them on a baking tray.
- Roast until they are tender.
- Add the roasted vegetables to a blender or saucepan, along with the stock.
- Blend until a smooth consistency. Warm through, and season to taste. Serve with a garnish of your choice.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS AND FAQS:
Make sure that the vegetables are cooked through before attempting to blend them. It will be impossible to blend it smoothly if they are slightly undercooked.
You can use an immersion blender – I do. You will get a smoother, creamier texture if you use a blender. However, it is important to understand that blending hot liquids in a blender can be dangerous and could result in severe burns.
If you do use a blender for hot liquids, you must be careful. You will need to remove the central cap in the blender lid and then cover the lid with a folded tea towel to let the steam escape. Hold the lid on securely and blend at a low speed. This will allow steam to escape so that it doesn’t build up. Not doing this can pose a risk that soup may overflow out of the blender.
Make this soup your own. The basic recipe is vegan and gluten-free and delicious as it is. However, if you do not have specific dietary restrictions you can tailor it to your own requirement – perhaps a drizzle of cream or yoghurt on top, with a garnish of fresh herbs.
How long will the soup last in the fridge?
The soup will last for 3 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze the Roasted Sweet Potato and Capsicum Soup?
Yes, soup is one of the best meals to make ahead because it freezes so well. Make a big batch and allow the soup to cool completely before storing it in freezer-safe containers. The soup can be frozen for about 3 months. Be sure to label the container with the name and date – frozen objects can be difficult to identify.
Can I use pumpkin instead of sweet potato?
Pumpkin is a great substitute!
Sweet potato and red pepper soup
Sweet potato and red pepper soup
This sweet potato and red pepper soup recipe is full of taste and goodness. This soup contains a lot of different types of healthy vegetables.
Some of these, namely the carrots, sweet potato and peas impart an unusual sweetness to the soup that makes it quite special, and VERY tasty.
It is a perfect warming soup for a cold bleak winter’s day, like today. As I write this we are in the middle of storm Eunice, which is wreaking havoc outside, downing trees and laying waste to everything in its path.
This soup is a great way to take one’s mind off it.
Vegan Soups
This vegan soup recipe is one of several vegan soups I have on my site. If you like this recipe, at the end of this post there are some links to some other vegan soup recipes.
But I must say that this vegan soup recipe is now one of my favourites. I shall definitely be making this one again.
The vegetables all complement each other perfectly, and the almonds add that roasted nutty flavour to create a really interesting soup.
The advantage of vegetarian soups is that they are a great way of getting rid of vegetables you may have leftover. In this case it was perfect for using up the sweet red pepper and the one courgette I had in the fridge, as well as some leftover baby potatoes and the sweet potato that I was wondering what to do with.
Sweet potato and red pepper soup
The onion, garlic, carrots and peas are all present in my pantry anyway as some of my staple ingredients.
You can of course vary the quantities as you wish, and depending on what you need to use up. But I found the combination as described worked just fine. Even my rather fussy daughter liked it!
Roasted Red pepper and Sweet potato soup
If you were wanting to vary the recipe a little bit, apart from using different proportions of each vegetable, you could try roasting the red peppers or sweet potatoes before adding them to the soup. This would probably impart a bit more of a smokey taste to the soup that might make it even better.
Or you could add some chilli peppers to add a bit of a kick and create a spicy soup.
Or you could just leave it as it is. I think it is actually just fine as it is. I hope you do too.
If you do try and make it, please let me know how you get on in the comments section below.
How to make sweet potato and red pepper soup
Sweet potato and red pepper soup
prep time: 10 MINUTES
cook time: 1 HOUR
total time: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES
This delicious sweet and tasty soup is 100% vegan and super healthy. Great as a starter or even as a main course.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm squares
- 1 sweet red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 courgette, peeled and sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 new potatoes, washed and unpeeled
- 3 carrots, peeled
- 2 green OXO vegetable stock cubes
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 cup frozen peas (petit pois)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
To garnish
- 2 Tbsp flaked almonds
- 1 tbsp Chopper coriander
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables as described in the ingredient list.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan for a couple of minutes.
- Then place the remaining ingredients into the saucepan and cover with water. Slowly bring to the boil, and then simmer with a lid on for about 1 hour, or until all vegetables are well cooked.
- Check now and again during cooking to make sure that the water level is good. If not then just add some more water.
- While it is cooking gently fry the almonds in a skillet until slightly browned.
- Then use a hand blender to blend the vegetables into a soup. If it is too thick for your liking then just add some more water.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper to suit.
Healthy Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
Learn how to make the best Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup! Our healthy soup recipe features garlic, paprika, lemon, pepper flakes and pistachio.
Prep Time40 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, canadian
Keyword: Healthy Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, Red Pepper Soup, Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, Roasted Sweet Potato Soup, Sweet Potato Soup
Servings: 6
Calories: 132kcal
Equipment
- oven
- Immersion Blender
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- French knife
- baking sheet
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
- 2 Small Spanish Onions chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 Sweet Potatoes peeled and chopped
- 3 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Red Pepper Flakes crushed
- Scallions or Chives sliced
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Roasted Pistachio
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Arrange bell peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the skins are wrinkled and charred. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow to cool, approximately 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the stems, skins, and seeds from the peppers; chop the peppers roughly and set them aside.
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the sweet potato, broth, smoked paprika and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-22 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes have softened.
- Add roasted red peppers to the pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s smooth. Transfer the soup back to the pot and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, add extra stock to thin it out.
- Add the lemon juice and serve in large soup bowls topped with crushed red pepper flakes, sliced scallions, pistachio and dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.
Nutrition
Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.4g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 5.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 622mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 6.9g | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
Red Pepper Soup Tips
This healthy homemade soup is quick and easy to make at home. We’ve included a few tips for first time soup makers!
- Use a large cast iron dutch oven with a high rim to reduce splatter when cooking and pureeing the vegetables.
- In our recipe below we suggest using an immersion blender to puree the cooked vegetables but you could also use a heavy duty Vitamix.
- We suggest using a high quality rubber spatula spoon when making soup so you can easily stir, scrape down the side of the pot and sip to check if it needs to be seasoned further with more salt before spooning into bowls.
- We’ve used garlic, paprika and lemon to flavour this soup. You could substitute with ginger, curry powder, spicy chili and lime juice.
- If you use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock this soup recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
- Our Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup recipe features butter and yogurt or sour cream but you can make it vegan by substituting for coconut oil and thick coconut cream
Is peanut butter healthy?
From the calorie count to the nutritional values, dieticians give their verdict on the nutty cupboard staple
Whether it be deciding what to spread on your toast for breakfast, add into your milkshakes when you fancy a sweet treat, or bake into your oatmeal for something a little more filling, peanut butter is always a solid choice to bring the flavour – and it’s not just us that say so.
There’s been no shortage of viral recipes featuring nutty spreads, new jars using a variety of nuts to create the moreish beige gloop, and foodie hotspots all around the world have started adding peanut butter dishes onto their menus. There’s no denying the hold it has on us all – crunchy or smooth, we can’t get enough of the nutty spread! It’s no wonder more and more companies are having a go at creating the best, and healthiest, peanut butter out there. Not that we’re complaining, of course.
It’s surprisingly easy to make, consisting ‘usually 95% roasted peanuts, some sort of oil be it peanut oil, palm oil, maybe some emulsifiers added plus some sugar and/or salt’ shares freelance dietitian Lesley Reid.
With new versions being brought out to shops every day and new recipes for the perfect homemade peanut butter popping up everywhere online, it can be hard to figure out which peanut butter is the best, and whether the spread is even healthy at all.
So, let’s find out; how healthy is peanut butter?
What does the research say about peanut butter?
If you thought that peanut butter is mainly for people wanting to gain some weight, you’re not alone. ‘There is no getting away from how high in calories peanut butter is,’ shares specialist dietitian and Chair of the British Dietetic Association for London Sophie Medlin.
‘Despite what Instagram has us believe, peanut butter actually has more calories per gram than chocolate,’ Sophie explains. ‘However, it’s important not to demonise any food and put others on a pedestal.’
She notes that peanut butter contains ‘healthy fats and some useful micronutrients including vitamin E, vitamin B3, magnesium, manganese and copper, some of which can be limited in our diets.’
What’s more, those fats that we just mentioned? ‘Half of the fat in peanut butter is made up of oleic acid, a healthy type of monounsaturated fat also found in high amounts in olive oil,’ shares freelance dietitian Lesley Reid. Get this; research suggests that diets high in monounsaturated fats are more effective than high-carb diets for weight loss.
How healthy are nut-based spreads?
Peanut butter, much like all nut-based spreads, is a pretty unprocessed food, with very few extra added ingredients, and a very good source of protein and fibre.
Interestingly, crunchy peanut butter specifically is a fab source even if you may miss out on some nutrients because whole nuts are only partially digested, and specialist dietitian Sophie Medlin explains how absorbing slightly less nutrients also means that ‘you’re likely to absorb less of the fat and therefore slightly fewer calories from crunchy peanut butter when compared to smooth, despite the labels reading the same calorie number.’
However, choosing peanut butter in general, whether it be crunchy or smooth, may still give you a little extra over other nut-based spreads. ‘Peanut butter contains a good source of protein compared to other plant foods,’ explains freelance dietitian Lesley Reid. ‘This is due to it being from the legume family – think beans and lentils’ she says.