Mixed Pepper Soup – Red and Yellow Double Soup

This mixed pepper soup is a little different from most of my soup recipes because you actually make two soups at the same time – one red pepper soup and one yellow pepper soup – then pour them into the bowl together.

It sounds as though it should be fiddly, but it really isn’t. The ingredients are divided between two saucepans, cooked at the same time and then blended separately. When you pour the red and yellow soups into the bowl simultaneously, they stay largely separate and give you that lovely two-colour effect.

I’ve made this a few times when friends have come over because it looks far more impressive than the amount of effort involved would suggest. If you’re looking for an easy starter for a dinner party or date night, this is a fun one to try.

You don’t have to serve it as a double soup either. You can use the same recipe to make a bowl of red pepper soup or yellow pepper soup if you’d rather keep things simple.

Ingredients for mixed pepper soup

This recipe makes four large portions. You’ll need:

• 3 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 3 yellow peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 2 pints vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme

The ingredients other than the peppers are divided evenly between the two pans, so each colour gets the same base flavours.

How to make red and yellow pepper soup

You’ll need two saucepans with lids.

Put the chopped yellow peppers into one pan and the red peppers into the other.

Divide the onion, garlic, celery, vegetable stock, bay leaves and thyme evenly between the two pans.

Cover both pans and simmer for 20–25 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf from each pan before blending. Blend the yellow soup until smooth, clean the blender thoroughly and then blend the red soup.

Keeping the blender clean between colours is important if you want that really obvious red-and-yellow finish.

Reheat the soups if necessary before serving.

How to get the two-colour soup effect

This is the fun bit.

Transfer the red soup and yellow soup into separate jugs. Hold one jug in each hand on opposite sides of the bowl and slowly pour both soups at the same time.

They should meet around the middle of the bowl rather than one completely covering the other.

You don’t need to get it absolutely perfect. Mine isn’t being judged by anyone with a ruler! The contrast between the red and yellow is what makes it look so striking.

If you’re serving this to friends, I’d practise with your own bowl first rather than discovering your pouring technique while everybody is watching.

Can I make just red pepper soup?

Yes. You don’t have to create the double effect every time.

The recipe is essentially two batches of pepper soup cooked side by side, so you could make only the red half if that’s what you fancy.

The red peppers give you the deeper-coloured soup shown in the photos.

If you’re specifically looking for another red pepper recipe, my butternut squash and red pepper soup is completely different. That one uses roasted red peppers from a jar with butternut squash and is particularly popular with readers looking for Slimming World soup ideas.

Can I make just yellow pepper soup?

You can make the yellow half on its own too.

Yellow pepper soup isn’t something I see nearly as often as red pepper soup, which is a shame because it makes such a gorgeous bright bowl of soup.

If you’re buying peppers specifically for this recipe, I’d make the two colours together at least once. It seems a waste not to when you’ve got the chance to make it look this pretty!

What if my pepper soup tastes slightly bitter?

One reader, Tilly, mentioned that her peppers were a little bitter when she made this and she added some extra salt.

Peppers can vary in sweetness, so tasting the soup after blending is important. Season it to your own taste rather than assuming it won’t need anything simply because there isn’t salt listed separately in the ingredients.

I’d make the recipe as written first before adding lots of other flavours, otherwise you risk losing the simple pepper flavour and the difference between the two sides.

Making mixed pepper soup on a budget

Six peppers can make this relatively expensive if you’re buying them at full price, so this is a good recipe to remember when you find multipacks reduced.

Yellow-sticker peppers that need using quickly are absolutely fine for soup as long as they’re still good to eat.

It’s also useful when you’ve somehow accumulated several peppers in the fridge and need to use them before they become one of those vegetables you discover looking rather sorry for themselves at the back!

Is mixed pepper soup suitable for Slimming World?

The soup is based on peppers, onion, celery, garlic, vegetable stock, bay leaves and thyme, so it’s straightforward to check the individual ingredients if you’re following Slimming World.

I don’t give a fixed Syn value because plans and branded ingredients can change. Check the vegetable stock you’re using and the current Slimming World information if you need to calculate it accurately.

For recipes specifically aimed at that style of eating, have a look through my Slimming World soup recipes.

Can I make this in a soup maker?

You could make the individual red and yellow soups in a soup maker, but there is an obvious snag: you need to keep the colours separate.

Unless you happen to own two soup makers – which feels slightly excessive even for me – you’d need to make one colour, empty and clean the machine thoroughly, and then make the second.

You’d also need to check the quantities against your particular machine’s minimum and maximum fill levels rather than assuming half of this recipe will automatically fit.

For an ordinary weekday lunch, I’d probably stick with the two pans because both colours cook at the same time.

If you use your machine regularly, you’ll find more suitable ideas amongst my soup maker recipes.

Can you freeze red and yellow pepper soup?

Yes, but freeze the two colours separately if you want to recreate the double soup when you serve it.

There’s not much point carefully making red and yellow soup and then mixing them together in one freezer container!

Portion them into labelled containers so you know which is which. I’ve played freezer roulette enough times to know that labelling things is considerably less exciting but much more useful.

Defrost safely, reheat both soups until steaming hot throughout and then pour them together when serving.

What can I serve with mixed pepper soup?

If you’re serving it as lunch, bread, toast or a sandwich will make it into a more substantial meal.

If you’re making it because you want that impressive two-colour presentation, I’d serve a smaller portion as a starter and let the soup itself do the showing off.

It’s colourful enough without needing loads of elaborate toppings.

More easy homemade soups

If peppers are what brought you here, try my butternut squash and red pepper soup or my red pepper and lentil soup next.

For more choice, my healthy soup recipes page has all sorts of homemade soups together, while my healthy winter soup recipes are particularly handy once the weather turns and soup starts sounding like a much better idea for lunch.

I’ve also got plenty of vegetarian and vegan recipes if you’re trying to add more meat-free meals to your week.

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