Creamy Slow-Cooker Roasted Red Pepper & Gouda Bisque Soup Recipe Soups Slow Cooker Lunch Dinner Gluten-free Vegetables Vegetarian Italian Recipes

During the colder weather months, comforting soup recipes soothe more than ever. Though I don’t have it often, perhaps my all-time favorite soup recipe is technically not a soup, but a bisque: roasted red pepper and gouda. When I taught at a university in northern New York, I spent a lot of time at a local café. It was there that I worked on my tenure files, wrote my first play and wrote my first book. I owe a lot to that little café and its friendly staff, not to mention their chai lattes, cranberry walnut salad and roasted red pepper and gouda bisque. 

It’s been years since I’ve eaten there, and in fact the café is now closed, but I still think of that special place and their food. The good news: I finally found a recipe that comes very close to their wonderful creamy bisque.

This easy slow-cooker roasted red pepper and gouda bisque soup recipe is made with roasted red peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, dried basil, sea salt, oregano, black pepper, garlic, onion, gouda cheese, butter and heavy cream. The fresh basil and croutons are optional garnishes. This gluten-free soup is great for dinner or lunch and for meal prepping.

Serve this savory vegetarian soup for lunch or dinner with a side of warm bread or with homemade croutons, if desired. So easy and delicious!

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Cuisine: Italian 
Prep Time: 20 minutes 
Cook Time: 5 hours  
Total Time: 5 hours and 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red peppers
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 - 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 ounces smoked or regular gouda cheese, grated, plus extra for garnishing
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
• croutons, for serving (optional)

Helpful Products

• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Blender
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Soup Bowls
• Salt and Pepper
• Slow Cooker

Recipe Notes

• You can use chicken stock or vegetable stock in this recipe, so if you'd like the soup to be vegetarian, use vegetable stock. To reduce sodium, use low-sodium broth.
• You could add fresh basil or croutons on top, or some additional shredded gouda cheese as an additional or other optional garnish.

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave. You also can freeze it.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Heat your slow cooker on low.
2. Add the following to the slow cooker: roasted red peppers, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, basil, sea salt, oregano and black pepper.
3. In a medium pan, sauté the garlic and onion in butter over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the sautéed onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
5. After cooking for 4 hours, transfer the cooled soup to a high-powered blender or immersion blender. (Be sure to check manufacturer's directions for blending soup.) Puree until smooth.
6. Pour the pureed soup back into the slow cooker. Add the heavy cream and cheese. Cover and cook for 1 additional hour.
7. Garnish with the extra gouda and fresh basil and top with croutons, if desired.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 410

Total Fat: 17.8g

Saturated Fat: 9.7g

Cholesterol: 50mg

Total Carbohydrate: 52g

Dietary Fiber: 17.1g

Total Sugars: 20.8g

Protein: 16.3g

Vitamin D: 3mcg

Calcium: 836mg

Iron: 11mg

Potassium: 1037mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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