This creamy red shishito pepper soup is a great way to use up summer produce. It’s smooth, flavorful, and naturally mild, though there’s always a chance you’ll hit that one spicy pepper! I had no idea shishitos even came in red until I found a pint at the farmers market, and now they’re one of my favorite seasonal ingredients. You can make this soup in under 30 minutes, and I’ll show you how to adjust it if you only have green shishitos or red bell peppers.
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If you are lucky this summer, you will score a pint of sweet red shishito peppers! These red shishito peppers are sweet, mild red peppers, except for that one in ten! I had no idea shishito peppers even came in red!! These delicious red peppers are officially my new favorite fall flavor. Do you know what is even better? Pairing this sweet pepper soup with a new cabernet I love by Cameron Hughes.
These red peppers are vibrant and beautiful, and I hope to see more of them in the coming weeks at our farmer’s market! If you enjoy soup as much as we do, check out my delicious gluten-free soup recipes on the blog. You are guaranteed to find your next favorite soup!
I also have several great gluten-free shishito pepper recipes! Read on for detailed step-by-step photos to see how to make pepper soup, or go straight to the recipe card for the quantities and steps.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Red Shishito Peppers – These are a seasonal and harder-to-find variety. If needed, you can use green shishitos or red bell peppers. The soup will still be delicious, just a bit less sweet and vibrant.
- Onion – Sweet onions add a gentle base flavor. Yellow or white onion also works.
- Garlic – Fresh or jarred garlic is fine to use.
- Vegetable Broth – I used low-sodium broth, but it is a personal preference whether to use this or regular vegetable broth.
- Cooking Oil – I used avocado oil, but any other type is also fine to use.
- Heavy Cream – This gives a nice creamy mouthfeel and flavor. Use a dairy-free heavy cream, if you are dairy-free.
- The pepper soup spice combo – Cumin, salt, and black pepper.
A Note From My Kitchen
I had never seen red shishito peppers until they appeared at my local farmers’ market. I grabbed a pint and got to work. They’re a little sweeter than green shishitos, but just like the green ones, only about one in ten will have heat. I tested this soup with both red and green shishitos. Both worked well, but the red ones gave the soup a smoother, slightly sweeter flavor and a beautiful color. If you can’t find red shishitos, red bell peppers are a good alternative.
How to Make Roasted Red Shishito Pepper Soup (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Blister the shishito peppers with onion and garlic. I love doing this in my cast-iron skillet because it can get hot. Use a cooking oil that can withstand high heat, such as avocado oil.
Another easy way to blister these peppers is to grill them in a grill basket and add them to the cooking onions and garlic. Cook the peppers over medium-high heat until they are softened and the onions are translucent.
Step 2: Transfer the peppers from the pan to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, remove the stems. You do not have to remove the seeds, as they are not spicy.
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Step 3: Add all of the ingredients to your Vitamix, food processor, or high-speed blender. This will make the soup smooth and creamy for cooking! I love making soups in the Vitamix, but you can even put everything into the pot and use an immersion blender to puree!
Step 4: Add the puree to a soup pot. Cover and bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the soup to boil for five minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! Green shishitos work just as well. The soup will have a slightly peppery taste and will be less sweet, with a more vibrant color. You can also substitute red bell peppers for a similar flavor and color.
Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze in Souper Cubes or small containers for quick single-portion meals. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
More Shishito Pepper Recipes:
- How to Cook Shishito Peppers
- Chilled Shishito Pepper Soup
- Roasted Shishito Peppers with Garlic
- Chicken with a Roasted Shishito Pepper Sauce
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If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Creamy Red Shishito Pepper Soup (Ready in 30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 1 pint red shishito pepper * see notes
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup heavy cream * see notes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sour cream for garnish optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro optional
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Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet, add red shishito peppers, oil, onion, and garlic.
- Cook on medium-high heat until the peppers are blistered. Stir frequently as they cook. It is okay that the onions and garlic get caramelized.
- Remove peppers from the skillet and use a sharp knife to remove the stems.
- Add all ingredients into a high-speed blender, food processor, or Vitamix. You can also add all ingredients to a pot and use an immersion blender to smooth the ingredients.
- Puree until smooth.
- Pour the soup mixture into a pot. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with sour cream, cilantro and even jalapeño slices.
Notes
- If you can’t find red shishito peppers, you can use roasted red bell peppers or green shishito peppers. Only one in ten shishito peppers are spicy, so this is a mild soup.
- If you are dairy-free, use a dairy-free heavy cream. Several companies now make this and it works very well. If you use this, the soup is also vegan.
- You can use low-sodium or regular vegetable broth.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh for up to 4 days. You can also freeze extra soup. I freeze soup in Souper Cubes, which freeze the soup in single-serving blocks. Freeze these blocks in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Can’t wait to try this. Do you think I could use frozen shishito peppers?
Hi Liliet, I haven’t tried using frozen shishitos, but it should be fine. Thaw them first and maybe pat them with a paper towel to remove a bit of the moisture from thawing.
I’m going to try this soup tonight. What do you think of adding some diced ham to the soup? Thanks.
Hi Scott, Wow, that is an interesting idea. The saltiness of the ham should work well with the peppers. Please do come back and let me know how it turns out…I may need to try that.
I could only find green shishitos. Can I make the soup with these – or maybe add some sweet red bell peppers?
I love them (the green ones) raw. They are refreshing, crispy-crunchy and so tasty. I like to chop them up and use i my stir-fry’s or a fresh salad.
You can definitely use green ones :-). Their flavor is almost identical to the red ones. Enjoy