This soup lands in that useful middle ground between light and substantial. Roasting the peppers and tomatoes concentrates their natural sweetness, while white beans add protein, fibre and a creamy texture without requiring much dairy.

Tomato paste, smoked paprika and an optional Parmesan rind create a savoury backbone. Partially blending the finished soup makes it silky while leaving enough beans and vegetables intact to give every spoonful character.

Best season: late summer through autumn • Difficulty: easy • Freezer rating: excellent

Ingredients—6 servings

  • 4 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces
  • 6 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered (about 2 lb / 900 g)
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 2 cans (540 mL / 19 oz each) cannellini or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 Parmesan rind, about 2–3 inches, optional
  • ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

Big-batch ingredients—12 servings

Use an 8-quart or larger stockpot and two rimmed sheet pans.

  • 8 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces
  • 12 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered (about 4 lb / 1.8 kg)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, diced
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1¾ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 4 cans (540 mL / 19 oz each) cannellini or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 Parmesan rinds, optional
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt initially, then adjust after simmering
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar, plus more if needed
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Arrange the peppers and tomatoes on one large rimmed baking sheet for the standard batch, or two sheets for the large batch. Toss with half the olive oil.
  2. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning the peppers once, until the tomatoes have collapsed and developed browned edges and the peppers are tender with dark roasted patches. Uneven browning is welcome—those darker edges add flavour.
  3. While the vegetables roast, heat the remaining olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots are beginning to soften.
  4. Add the garlic and cook for about 45 seconds, just until fragrant.
  5. Push the vegetables slightly to one side. Add the tomato paste directly to the hot surface and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it changes from bright red to a deeper brick colour.
  6. Add the smoked paprika, oregano and optional red pepper flakes. Stir for about 30 seconds to wake up the spices without scorching them.
  7. Add the roasted peppers, tomatoes and every drop of juice from the sheet pan. Stir well, scraping the pot to loosen any browned bits.
  8. Add the beans, stock, Parmesan rind, salt and black pepper. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
  9. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until the carrots are completely tender and the flavours have come together. Remove and discard the Parmesan rind.
  10. Use an immersion blender to blend roughly one-third to one-half of the soup in the pot, stopping while plenty of beans and pepper pieces remain. Alternatively, carefully blend about 3 cups in a countertop blender and return it to the pot.
  11. Stir in the red wine vinegar. Taste before adding more salt; the stock, beans and Parmesan rind may have supplied enough.
  12. Remove from the heat and stir in most of the fresh basil or parsley, reserving a little for serving.

The flavour finish

Do not skip the red wine vinegar. Tomatoes and roasted peppers bring plenty of sweetness, while the beans soften and round out the flavours. The vinegar supplies just enough acidity to sharpen everything without making the soup taste vinegary.

Add it at the end because long cooking dulls its brightness. At the table, finish with a small drizzle of good olive oil and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.

Make it your own

  • Higher protein: After blending, add 2 cups shredded cooked chicken to the standard batch or 4 cups to the large batch.
  • Dairy-free: Omit the Parmesan rind. After removing the soup from the heat, stir in 1 tsp white miso for the standard batch or 2 tsp for the large batch.
  • Spicier: Increase the crushed red pepper flakes and finish each bowl with a small spoonful of chilli oil.
  • Extra vegetables: Roast a chopped zucchini with the peppers and tomatoes; it blends in without overwhelming the red-pepper flavour.
  • Gluten-free: The basic recipe is naturally gluten-free when the stock and other packaged ingredients are certified gluten-free, if required.

Freeze, store and reheat

This soup freezes beautifully because it contains no potatoes, pasta, rice or cream to lose their texture.

Cool it promptly in smaller, shallow containers rather than leaving a large stockpot at room temperature. For two people, 2- to 3-cup portions make especially convenient lunches and light dinners. Leave about ½ inch of headspace in rigid containers, label them and freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when possible. You can also reheat it gently from frozen in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring as the edges thaw. Reheat until steaming throughout; if the soup has thickened, loosen it with a splash of stock or water. Add fresh basil after reheating rather than before freezing.

Health Canada lists soup at 2–3 days in a refrigerator at 4°C / 40°F or colder and up to 4 months in a freezer at −18°C / 0°F. This recipe’s 3-month recommendation prioritizes best quality.

Batch-cooking tip

For the 12-serving version, use two sheet pans instead of crowding everything onto one. Crowded vegetables steam; giving them room lets moisture escape and develops the browned edges that provide much of this soup’s flavour.

Freeze half as soon as it has cooled. You have essentially made dinner twice without cooking twice.

What to serve with it

  • Whole-grain garlic toast
  • Grilled cheese made with sharp aged cheddar
  • Arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil
  • Warm focaccia with a little Parmesan

Nutrition snapshot

Estimated per serving when the recipe makes six servings. Actual values vary with the beans, stock, olive oil and other ingredients used.

  • Calories: approximately 330
  • Protein: approximately 15 g
  • Carbohydrates: approximately 48 g
  • Fibre: approximately 13 g
  • Fat: approximately 10 g
For a lower-sodium version, choose no-salt-added beans and low-sodium stock, rinse the beans thoroughly and season mainly at the end.

Cook’s note

Tomato paste tastes noticeably different after it cooks directly against the bottom of the pot. Giving it a minute or two to darken removes its raw, sharp character and develops deeper savoury notes—a tiny step that improves far more soups than just this one.