Smokin’ hot tomato soup. Just a little chipotle in adobo sauce can go a long way into fueling the fire of your traditional tomato soup. Chipotle pepper adds a delicious smoky heat, and a little extra adobo sauce provides a nice earthy undertone to the soup. For those only moderately into spicy foods, we recommend using only one chipotle, but for those with more adventurous taste buds, you could add a second for some bigger heat. Serve with crusty bread, and you have yourself a delicious and filling spicy lunch!
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Tomato soup with chipotle smoke, the sweetness of roasted red peppers, and a creamy finish. |
| Primary heat source | One chipotle pepper and a tablespoon of adobo sauce, both from a can of chipotles in adobo. |
| Heat level | Mild. Chipotles run 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units, the same range as jalapeños, and one goes into a big pot of soup. |
| Texture | Smooth and creamy once it’s blended. |
| Best uses | Lunch with crusty bread, a bowl next to a grilled cheese, or a starter before a bigger meal. |
| Customization ideas | A second chipotle for more heat, vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, or coconut milk in place of the cream. |
| Before you start | About an hour, most of it simmering. It makes a big pot from three 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, and you’ll need a blender. |
Flavor notes
The chipotle is where the smoke comes from. Chipotles are smoke-dried jalapeños, and the canned kind comes packed in adobo, a tangy, spiced tomato sauce, so it’s a natural fit for tomato soup. The chipotle brings the heat, and the extra spoonful of adobo adds more of that earthy flavor.
How hot does it get? Milder than you might expect, even though a chipotle carries the same 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units as a jalapeño. And here one of them goes into three big cans of tomatoes and three cups of broth. You’ll taste more smoke than burn. Want real heat? Add a second chipotle, and taste the soup before you think about a third.
The jar of roasted red peppers gives you a sweet, roasted flavor alongside the tomatoes. The cream goes in last, over low heat, just long enough to warm through, and from there it mellows the tomatoes’ tang and gives the soup its creamy finish.
Blend it until it’s completely smooth. An immersion blender lets you do it right in the pot. If you use a countertop blender or food processor, work in batches and fill it no more than halfway. Then hold the lid down with a folded towel, since hot soup can push the lid off.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, and a couple make it fit a different diet.
- Want more heat? Add a second chipotle, or another spoonful of adobo sauce, before the soup simmers.
- Want it milder? Use half a chipotle and leave out the extra adobo. If a batch comes out too hot, here’s how to make soup less spicy.
- Keeping it vegetarian? Use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
- Going dairy-free? Stir in full-fat coconut milk instead of the cream, though it’ll taste a little of coconut.
- Out of chipotles in adobo? Chipotle powder, or smoked paprika with a pinch of cayenne, works in a pinch. Here’s more on the best chipotle in adobo sauce substitute.
- Want it chunkier? Blend only part of the soup, then stir it back into the rest.
Serving ideas
Wondering what to serve with it? Crusty bread is all it needs, but there are plenty of ways to round it out.
- With crusty bread: For dunking, and to turn a bowl into a filling lunch.
- With grilled cheese: It’s the classic tomato soup partner, and a smoky chipotle version doubles down on the theme.
- With toppings: A swirl of cream or sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, or chopped cilantro.
- As a starter: In small cups before tacos, enchiladas, or anything off the grill.
Storage notes
Let the soup cool, then keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within three to four days. It freezes for two to three months, too, and since this recipe makes a big pot, freezing some of it is handy.
If you plan to freeze it, set that portion aside before the cream goes in, and stir the cream in when you reheat. Warm it gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Chipotle Grilled Cheese: A simple grilled cheese with smoky chipotle heat, made for dunking in this soup.
- Spicy Tomato Soup: A more rustic tomato soup, warmed with red pepper flakes and cumin.
- Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup: Squash slow-cooked with chipotle peppers and adobo sauce for a sweet, smoky bowl.
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Chipotle Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cans whole peeled tomatoes 28-ounce cans
- 1 jar roasted red peppers 12-ounce can
- 3/4 cup cream
- 2 yellow onions diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce and 1 chipotle pepper from chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a soup pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium heat, until the onions are translucent (5 to 7 minutes).
- Drain the can of red peppers, then add it to the soup pot, along with the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional minute, stirring often.
- Add the tomatoes with the juice into the pot. Break apart the tomatoes using a wooden spoon while continuing to stir.
- Add the chicken broth and stir until all ingredients are combined. Allow the soup to reach a simmer then turn the heat to medium low and let the soup continue to simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally during the soups summering.
- Remove the soup from the heat, then puree the soup in a food processor until smooth (you’ll likely need to do this in batches).
- Put the soup back into a pot over low heat and add the cream. Stir to combine while warming up the soup, then serve.
