Zippy Irish Pepper Soup

We’re shut in for the month and we find ourselves without potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day. So, this year, we’re having a new treat, Irish Pepper Soup–a pub favorite. It manages to be somehow cheesy without cheese, it’s creamy and zippy and absolutely delicious.

I’m making this baby in the instant pot, but you can make it easily on the stove top (simmer for about an hour) or in your slow cooker, too. It’s vegetarian and I’ve opted for gluten-free. You could totally swap in coconut milk for the cream and use plant-based butter to make it vegan as well. The main focus of this delicious dish is the veggies.

I stumbled across this yummy treat in The Irish Pub Cookbook, which I checked out at the library before eventually purchasing a copy for myself. The book is full of traditional pub favorites and this pepper soup is creamy and delicious. It’s a nice change of pace.

I served our Irish pepper soup with a healthy slab of buttered bagel bread and we all enjoyed our meal.

We also had cabbage and bacon, which is an Irish variation of Hot Slaw, really, with a mustard sauce. If you have groceries, be sure to try Guinness Beef Stew or mix some cabbage and green onion into your favorite mashed potatoes to make yourself Irish colcannon. Yum!

Next year we’ll consider getting back to our traditions. But, in the meantime, we’ll have ourselves a grande ole time with this delicious pepper soup and a side of cabbage and bacon!

Irish Pepper Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup Kerrygold Irish butter

4 bell peppers, any color, seeded, ribbed and diced

1 red onion, chopped

1 cup gluten-free flour

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons sour cream

green onions, for serving

Instant Pot Method

Add all ingredients except cream, sour cream and green onions to instant pot.

Cook on low pressure for 15 minutes.

Allow pressure to release naturally.

Switch to saute mode and add cream, heat through for 15 minutes on high.

Transfer to a blender and puree.

Serve topped with sour cream and green onion.

Slow Cooker Method

Add all ingredients except sour cream and green onions to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Transfer to a blender and puree.

Serve topped with sour cream and green onion.

Yield: 8

Irish Pepper Soup

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We're having a new treat, Irish Pepper Soup--a pub favorite. It manages to be somehow cheesy without cheese, it's creamy and peppy and absolutely delicious.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Kerrygold Irish butter
• 4 bell peppers, any color, seeded, ribbed and diced
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup gluten-free flour
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• green onions, for serving

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except cream, sour cream and green onions to instant pot.
2. Cook on low pressure for 15 minutes.
3. Allow pressure to release naturally.
4. Switch to saute mode and add cream, heat through for 15 minutes on high.
5. Transfer to a blender and puree.
6. Serve topped with sour cream and green onion.