Easy Red Pepper Coulis Recipe

This vibrant Red Pepper Coulis sauce is remarkably easy to make and is an excellent partner for seafood, steak, chicken or even eggs. An easy go-to sauce that’ll elevate your next meal. Let’s take a look.

What Is A Coulis?

A coulis is simply a thick purée of cooked fruit or seasoned cooked vegetables. Coulis can be used as a savory sauce, a sauce for dessert recipes or an ingredient in soup.

This red pepper coulis recipe is one of the first sauces (and there were many) that we learned to make in Culinary School. A lead-up to the onslaught of the classic 5 Mother Sauces and their variants.

A snappy and easy little sauce, the first time we made it we served it swirled on a plate with seared scallops. They make a great flavor partnership, I’ve served it that way since.

Thinking outside the box, Red Pepper Coulis can go with about anything, and is especially fun drizzled over poached eggs served with rustic toast. And it can be served as a sauce for roasted pork loin.

It’s stunning in color, exquisite in flavor, and so simple to make …and once you serve it, your family will think you just graduated from Culinary School.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make red pepper coulis sauce.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper. Either roast your own red bell peppers, or easier yet, purchase them in a jar or from the olive bar at your super market. I used a 16-ounce jar, drained.
Chicken Broth
Shallots
Pernod: Pernod is an important ingredient to the overall flavor of red pepper coulis. Pernod is an anise flavored liqueur from France. It has a strong black licorice flavor with fennel, coriander and mint. There really isn’t a good substitute, so please take the time to purchase a bottle.
Smoked Paprika

Ingredient Substitutions

Broth: Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Paprika: You can substitute plain sweet paprika for the smoked paprika, but be warned, you’ll be losing an important piece of the flavor by doing so.

How To Make Red Pepper Coulis … Its Easy

Frying roasted red bell peppers in a fry pan to make red pepper coulis.

Step 1: In a large fry pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once the bubbles start to subside, add the diced shallots. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until tender.
Step 2: Cut the roasted red bell peppers into strips and add to the cooked shallots. Stir and cook until heated through. About two minutes.

Adding chicken broth to roasted red bell peppers to make coulis.

Reduced red bell pepper sauce to make coulis.

Step 3: Add salt, pepper and chicken broth.
Step 4: Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the broth has reduced by half. This will intensify the flavor and thicken the sauce.

How to make red pepper coulis in a food processor.

Step 4: Transfer mixture to a food process and pulse until desired texture is achieved. I like a more rustic or coarse sauce, so I pulse, instead of pureeing, until the pepper sauce is just blended.

Step 5: Immediately stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the Pernod. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with seared scallops or pork roast.

Questions You Might Have

Can Red Bell Pepper Coulis Be Frozen?

Yes. It freezes beautifully. Just place in an airtight container and store in freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

How Do You Roast Red Bell Peppers?

To make things easy, I use a 16-ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained. I truly feel the flavor is not compromised. If you want to roast your own red bell peppers, do so on top of your gas stove directly on the grates. Turning often until skin is started to blacken (not burnt). Place the peppers in a plastic bag and let them steam for about ten minutes. Remove the blistered skin with your hands. Cut the top and bottoms off the peppers, slice open and remove the veins and seeds. Slice the peppers and proceed with recipe instructions.

What Does Red Pepper Coulis Taste Like?

Roasting red bell peppers intensifies their already sweet and earthy flavor. Shallots add a delicate sweet onion flavor. The Pernod brings a subtle licorice layer of flavor. And the smoked paprika not only adds to the vibrant color but infuses a smoky aroma and flavor.

What Can Be Used Instead Of A Food Processor?

Use a blender or an immersion blender.

Red Pepper Coulis Uses

Serve with seared scallops as shown in this photo.
Drizzle a tablespoon or so over rustic toast topped with a poached egg.
Use as a topping for individual servings of sliced pork roast.
Red pepper coulis is a great partner for thin sliced grilled or roasted chicken breast.
Try some with baked or grilled whitefish.
Stir some into a neutral savory soup, like this Chicken Pasta Butternut Squash Soup.
And don’t forget about a pan seared steak. Perfect.

What’s The Best Way To Store Red Pepper Coulis?

How Long Will Red Pepper Coulis Last? Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to three days.

Presentation Tip:

Place a spoonful of sauce on the plate. Use the back of the spoon and press into the middle of the sauce. Drag the back of the spoon in a curve shape to make the pattern in the photo.

Recipe for Red Pepper Coulis

Red pepper coulis swirled on a plate and served with seared scallops.

I hope you give this easy Red Pepper Coulis recipe a try. It’s an impressive little sauce that will make an ordinary meal turn into a special event.

More Sauce Recipes To Elevate Meal Plans

Caper Sauce for Roasted Salmon
Mustard Caper Cream Sauce for Pan Seared Cod
Cherry BBQ Sauce for Chicken
Marie Rose Sauce

And don’t miss the most popular sauce recipe on my site for Saffron Cream Sauce. Easy and luxurious, it’s a special sauce and easy to make.

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Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Lea Ann Brown

This vibrant Red Pepper Coulis sauce is remarkably easy to make and an excellent partner for seafood, steak, chicken or even eggs. An easy go-to sauce to elevate your next meal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Course Main Course Seafood

Cuisine French

Servings 2 cups

Calories 165 kcal

Equipment

Food Processor or Blender

Ingredients

3 shallots Peeled and diced. About 3 Tablespoons.
2 Tablespoons Butter divided
2 – 3 Roasted Red Bell Pepper cut into strips. Or 1 16-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained.
1 ½ Cups Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon Pernod

Instructions

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt. Once the butter melts and bubbles begin to subside, add the chopped shallots. Sautee until tender. About 3 – 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the strips of roasted red bell pepper and stir well. Cook for about 1 minute.
Add stock and simmer 10 – 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half. This will thicken and intensify the flavor of the sauce.
Puree the pepper/broth mixture in a blender or food processor. You can puree it to a smooth sauce or simply use the pulse feature for a thick rustic sauce.
Immediately and while the sauce is still hot, add the remaining tablespoon butter and the Pernod.
Use as a sauce for seared scallops or even roasted pork roast.

Notes

This Coulis freezes beautifully. Just place in an airtight container and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

To make things easy, I use a 16 ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained. I truly feel the flavor is not compromised. If you want to roast your own red bell peppers, do so either on top of your gas stove directly on the grates. Turning often until skin is started to blacken (not burnt). Place the peppers in a plastic bag and let them steam for about 10 minutes. Remove the blistered skin with your hands. Cut the top and bottoms off the peppers, slice open and remove the veins and seeds. Slice the peppers and proceed with recipe instructions.

Presentation Tip: Place a spoonful of sauce on the plate. Use the back of the spoon and press into the middle of the sauce. Drag the spoon in a curve shape to make the design in the photo.

Scallops: Scallops are easy to sear. Just add butter to a heavy fry pan over medium high heat. Once butter melts and bubbles start to subside, add the scallops so the flat side is cooking. Once the scallops are seared and browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and let them sear on opposite side. The sides of the scallops will still look somewhat opaque. Don’t overcook, they’ll become tough and chewy.

Keyword coulis, red bell pepper, sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Coulis … It’s What’s For Scallops