Spanish Green Pepper and Potato Soup Recipe
A light vegetable soup inspired by home cooking from northern Spain, where peppers and potatoes end up in the pot as often as in the oven. Gently sweet from the peppers, filling thanks to the potatoes, it works perfectly as a simple weekday lunch or dinner. It tastes a bit like a cross between Polish potato soup and the Spanish love of peppers and olive oil.
This soup combines simple, everyday ingredients into a dish that feels both familiar and a bit Mediterranean. The sweetness of green peppers, the smokiness of paprika and the richness of olive oil give it a Spanish character, while the potatoes make it comforting and satisfying without being heavy.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality smoked paprika – it really defines the flavor here. Don’t rush the onion at the beginning; gently sautéing it until soft and translucent builds a sweeter, deeper base for the soup. If your stock is very salty, add salt only at the end, after tasting.
How to serve
Serve as a light main course with crusty bread, or as a starter before grilled fish or roasted vegetables. A simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette makes a nice side. For extra richness, drizzle each portion with a little extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
Ingredients
- potatoes - 500 g
- pepper green - 2 piece
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- vegetable stock homemade or from a good-quality stock cube - 1 l
- olive oil preferably extra virgin - 3 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 piece
- sweet smoked paprika - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes, rinse and cut into medium cubes. Wash the peppers, remove the cores and seeds, cut into strips and then into smaller pieces. Peel and finely chop the onion, peel the garlic and slice it thinly.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and turns slightly translucent but does not brown.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute, until it becomes very fragrant. Add the sweet smoked paprika, stir quickly and after 10–15 seconds pour in a little stock so the spice doesn’t burn.
- Add the potatoes, peppers and bay leaves to the pot. Pour in the rest of the stock so the vegetables are covered. If needed, add a little water.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender – check by piercing them with a fork; it should slide in without resistance.
- Remove the bay leaves. If you’d like a thicker soup, scoop out 2–3 ladles of vegetables with some liquid, blend until smooth and pour back into the pot, stirring.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper. Finally, stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Storage
Zupę przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku w lodówce i podgrzewaj na małym ogniu, dolewając odrobinę wody, jeśli zgęstnieje. Do mrożenia wystudź całkowicie, zamroź bez natki pietruszki i zużyj w ciągu 2 miesięcy.
