Roasted Red Pepper and Squash Soup with Chickpeas

Roasted red bell peppers and nutty tahini spruce up this simple squash soup for a crave-worthy bowl of goodness that fills both your stomach and your soul. Chewy chickpeas add heft while the brightness of fresh-squeezed lemon juice pairs perfectly with the rich earthiness of the cubed squash. Serve this tasty stew with rounds of whole wheat pita bread to sop up the savory broth!

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By Nancy Macklin, RDN,

Last Updated:

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cubed peeled pumpkin, kabocha squash, or butternut squash ( ¾-inch cubes)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 red bell peppers, halved, stemmed, and seeded
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 whole wheat pita bread rounds, toasted and cut into wedges
  • Lemon wedges

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper. Spread pumpkin in one side of pan. Drizzle with lemon juice. Arrange bell peppers, cut sides down, in other side of pan. Roast 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender and peppers start to char.
  • Transfer pumpkin to a 4- to 6-quart pot. Wrap peppers in the parchment paper. Let stand 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to remove skins from peppers. Chop peppers.
  • Add broth and chickpeas to pot with the pumpkin. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
  • Ladle soup into bowls. Divide roasted peppers, parsley, tahini, and garlic between bowls. Serve with pita bread and lemon wedges.
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Comments (23)

(5 from 10 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Joanne

We tried the soup tonight. It is "fine" by what my dad used to say about trying new things. Not sure this is a "do over" for us.

Rachel

SO yummy and perfect for fall in the midwest! Definitely agree with the comments about adding it all to the pot- along with some crushed red pepper flakes. I also added fresh ground pepper, sea salt, a little olive oil drizzle, and minced garlic to the pan when roasting the squash - tossing half way through. Beyond that I decided to pulse the squash in a food processor before adding to the pot because I didn't want whole chunks. I wondered about adding some coconut milk to make it a little creamy, but decided I doctored it enough! Might try next time.

Marcene Austin

My husband and I felt this soup was good, but we couldn't determine that it stood out in any way. I will say, however, that it certainly was satiable and we were satisfied with only the soup, some grated Parmesan, a few crackers and a grapefruit for dessert. The next time I try it, I may blend the butternut squash before adding. Thanks for publishing such nutritious recipes!

Mary

Ive used 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice in ham soup w Similar vegetables, and it was great! (Maybe i added a little more spice)

Dianna

Definitely put it all in the pot together (except parsley for garnish). I added red pepper flakes, cooked in a slow cooker and put it in the blender for more of a chowder.

Brooke

This is shockingly good for being so simple! I’m certain the tahini, parsley, and fresh minced garlic are meant to be divided and served as garnishes with each individual bowl. Don’t skip them bc they are very important for the big flavor!

Barbara Savage

I was about to make the soup and as I was prepping my ingredients, I realized the same thing… I’m glad I read the comments! I’m going to add everything to the pot as well. Thanks!

Patti

I made this tonight and thought it was okay. I added the tahini to the pot not the bowel. I think it needs more spice and possibly a little sweetness too. A carrot maybe?

Babs Yingst

I'm a bit confused by the recipe. Why aren't all the ingredients added to the soup in the pot, instead of adding ingredients into separate bowls? Has anyone added everything to the pot?

Linda Jo Basden

I too wondered why all the ingredients aren’t added into the pot. I may try it.

Chris

We were confused as well. My dad made it and it was delicious. He added the tahini, parsley, garlic and red peppers to the main pot when it was done with the 15 min simmer and it was delicious. I repeated it tonight with same results. Must be a typo in the recipe!

Cindy Johnson

Ndu

TheBeckster

To save time I used pre cut butternut squash and a jar of roasted peppers. I blended some of the broth with a dollop of almond butter. I added some bits of spinach for color. Tasty and pretty!

Ginny

I'm working on making this now. I'm confused about the last few ingredients: does each individual bowl get 2 T tahini, parsley, etc??

Moxie

Made this today. Roasted pie pumpkin and red pepper on the grill and used one can of garbanzos and one can of great northern beans. Result was delicious!!! (I normally add lots of seasonings and heat to FoK recipes, but this one was tasty as is!)

Laura BeeGood!

Wow…. Sprinkling the lemon juice over the butternut squash and then baking it… the result is wow WOW.. big difference because of the lemon juice!!! Tomorrow i continue to make the soup.. i bet this is going to be a triple WOW.. thank you for sharing!!

Vicki

I can’t wait to try this recipe! It sounds delicious. If you would consider printing nutritional information such as grams of carbs, amount of sodium, etc. it would be very helpful. It is difficult to type recipe info into the apps available to make those calculations. Thank you.

Catherine

Why did you give it five stars?

Barbara

Due to the current cost of living crisis in the UK it’s expensive to turn the oven on especially when there’s only one person in a household.. can one air fry the squash and peppers or miss the roasting out and just do everything in one pot on top of a stove ?

fontaine

You can double or triple the recipe. Make sûre your oven is full. And then put in the freezer for another time.

Joe Jitsu

Not sure if it’s possible for you, someone stated that they grilled it and it came out very good. With air fryer, it may not char the peppers. Other than that it will cook. Perhaps put liquid smoke or smoked paprika to get some of “”char” flavor. Do your best with what you have.

PatM

I have used squash without roasting in other recipes and it works just fine. Just cook a little longer in the broth. For the bell peppers, maybe buy a jar of already roasted peppers or use a outdoor grill as others have suggested.

Danielle Broadway

This recipe is deceptively packed with flavor! Loved this as did my kids.

About the Author

Headshot of Nancy Macklin

About the Author

Nancy Macklin, RDN

Nancy Macklin has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in health services administration from the University of Saint Francis. Macklin worked as a hospital-based clinical dietitian, providing counseling for diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss and as a food service director in health care dining sites. She now serves as a test kitchen dietitian, developing 500+ recipes per year. She is a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Find her on LinkedIn.
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