This soup hurts my eyes. It’s so very red! That’s just one of several reasons why you should not make this soup. Also problematic: it’s expensive. Organic bell peppers are not cheap and you’ll need quite a few of them for this recipe (unless you are growing bell peppers now, in which case, goldmine! I’m so jealous.).

Furthermore, roasting and peeling bell peppers is no fun. The process ranks pretty highly on my mental “least favorite things to do” list. It’s time consuming, tedious and makes my fingers burn because I never learn my lesson and wear gloves (clearly a personal problem). Lastly, this soup takes a full hour or longer to make, so it’s definitely not an I’m-starving-where’s-dinner kind of option.

Why should you make this soup, then? It’s outrageously delicious, that’s why! Hands down the best red pepper soup I’ve ever tasted.

This soup’s bold color is matched by bold flavor—smoked paprika reinforces the freshly roasted peppers and cumin takes it up a notch. It’s also exceptionally creamy thanks to some optional arrowroot starch (cornstarch should work just as well). The starch transforms an already creamy puréed soup into luscious, I can’t-believe-there’s-no-cream-in-that territory. I topped it all off with some of my favorite south of the border garnishes—crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, salty feta and freshly chopped cilantro.

Final verdict? If you have the time and the resources, I highly recommend making this soup. Do it quick, while bell peppers are still in season!

Products used in this recipe

Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Starch

Le Creuset 3 1/2-Quart Round French Oven

Blendtec blender

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