Quick and Easy Vegan Romesco Sauce or Soup Recipe

Whether you’re in the mood for pasta or a soup, this roasted red bell pepper recipe serves as the perfect starting point for both. Because when summer starts, and the fresh red peppers and tomatoes start coming in, this easy vegan romesco sauce dinner recipe is a personal favorite of mine, and a great way to start incorporating healthy, sustainable vegan meals into your diet.  

Watch us make both recipes in this short video!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup or Sauce: The Choice is yours!

I am the first to get bored of eating the same thing twice, but that’s why I really like this versatile romesco sauce recipe. To start, it’s quick to make; and while I do really enjoy cooking, sometimes I don’t feel like it. And while takeout is a great way to support a small business, it’s not always the healthiest option. 

I love dishes that are versatile and allow me to use them in different ways really helps me differentiate my diet ensure boredom does not occur when eating repeated meals. It’s a very passive recipe that you can make while you are working, cleaning, or just simply relaxing. Best of all, you can always take a step in between and save the next part for the next day. This vegan romesco recipe refrigerates well as a creamy pasta sauce or a soup base. 

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To convert this recipe into a soup, the only additional ingredients you will need are vegetable stock and extra seasoning if desired. It’s really quite simple, and in a matter of minutes, you can have a different meal. You can either start on the same day or store the mixture in the refrigerator for for up to three days before converting to a soup. Simply add vegetable stock into a sauce pot and whisk together with a bit of olive oil to get a creamy texture. 

Vegan Romesco Sauce over Pasta
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Vegan Romesco Ingredient Spotlight

Red Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are present in many cuisines styles such as many asian, latin, mediterranean, and American cuisines. Bell peppers are low in fat, sodium, and calories, but high in Vitamin C. They are very versatile, and in this recipe are roasted during peak freshness. However, if you are making this dish not in season, jarred roasted red peppers may save you some time.

Tomatoes

Not to be confused with a vegetable, tomatoes are actually a fruit! There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes around the world, but this recipe works well with Roma, beefsteak, or plum tomatoes. Regardless of which option you choose, make sure the tomato is fresh and vibrantly colored in the middle for the best flavor and texture!

Olive Oil

We toss our red peppers, onions, and tomatoes in olive oil while we roast them. This helps move the cooking process around quickly, while maintaining texture and adding flavor. You can also use any type of oil with a high smoke point like avocado, corn, or canola oil, but my preferred is olive oil. Best of all, you won't need to add additional oil later in the cooking process since it's already used during roasting. I prefer the Filippo 101.4 oz version because it comes in a metal can as apposed to plastic - listed in the link below and available at your Whole Foods.

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Making this Vegan Romesco Sauce Sustainably

So let’s talk about the sustainability of this Romesco sauce recipe. If you live in the northeast, these local ingredients are accessible to you in the same season. So you can make it one all your food is in peak. I find using produce that’s in season contributes to flavors that really complement each other well. Bell peppers and tomatoes are just one of many examples. 

While there are some retail food brands that have roasted red pepper soup readily available, the quality is much better when you make it yourself. Additionally, the soup does not have to go through intensive heating (and energy expenditure), and lose some flavor. 

You can purchase vegetable stock from a few major brands, but homemade typically adds more flavor and reduced sodium. You'll also get to use some of your vegetable scraps to make it, reducing food waste.

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Reducing food waste with this recipe

A lot of times when you see people roasting peppers, you’ll see them remove the skins. This is done for a few reasons, including the tougher texture and the bitterness that comes along with it. However, there are two reasons I don’t care for this practice. The first is that it takes a decent mount of work to peel the skin off. Secondly, I also just find it a semi-wasteful practice. There’s not much to do with the skins once they are removed, other than compost them. With the other ingredients in what are you do with the skins after you’re done. In a recipe where the entire pepper is roasted, I do not see this practice as necessary. 

You can make this recipe out of season by using the canned versions of both bell peppers and roasted  garlic. But to reduce the packaging waste and really get the best flavor possible , I recommend making it when all the produce is fresh really adds a lot more flavor.

Vegan Romesco Sauce Recipe

  • Preparation Time
    10 minutes
  • Cooking Time
    40 minutes
  • Serves
    4 adults
  • Difficulty
    Easy

Vegan Romesco Sauce Ingredients

  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Vegan Romesco Soup

  • 2 cups sauce base
  • 3/4 cup vegetable stock

Instructions

  1. Cut your vegetables including tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, and onions into large chunks
  2. Toss in Olive oil, salt, and pepper
  3. Roast veggies in the oven for 30 minutes at 400F
  4. Soak raw cashews in hot water
  5. Blend Cashews with water and roasted vegetables in a food processor or high speed blender
  6. Sauce: prepare pasta as directed, and pour sauce over pasta. Garnish with oregano and cracked pepper and enjoy.
  7. Soup: Pour remaining sauce into a sauce pot, and add vegetable stock while whisking until you reach your desired consistency.
  8. Serve hot and enjoy!

vegan romesco sauce over spiral pasta is a bright orange color

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