Red Peppers
Hand-roasted, every batch.
We char the skins, peel them by hand, and let the smoke into the pot. That char is the flavour you remember.
The Signature · Since 2013
Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
Some places have a special. We have a whole reputation built on a single bowl. Hand-roasted peppers, vine-ripe tomatoes, slow simmered every morning. People drive seven hours for it.
- Bowls served
- 250,000+
- Years on the menu
- 12 yrs
How it is made
Three ingredients we will not budge on, and one rule.
Tomatoes
Vine-ripe, never sweetened.
We pick up tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. No sugar, no thickener. The acidity is the point.
Slow simmer
Every morning, before opening.
The pot starts before the door opens. The first bowl of the day and the last bowl come from the same simmer.
The rule: never serve a bowl we would not eat. If the pot is off, we pour it out and start again. It has happened. It will happen.
Three ways to have it
By the bowl, with a panini, or by the jar.
By the bowl, in the cafe
A proper bowl, fresh-baked bread on the side. The patio is the best seat in spring and summer.
Soup-and-Panini Combo
Pair it with our roast-pork-apple-butter-and-brie panini, our tomato-mozzarella, or whichever pressed sandwich is calling. The signature lunch deal.
By the jar, to take home
Call ahead, we jar it the morning you pick it up. Larger orders need a day. People build gift baskets around it.
BEST CAFE EVER. Dan is so nice and easygoing and always makes sure I leave satisfied. The food is incredible, the soup IS as good as everyone says, and that is from someone who does not like tomatoes, and the desserts are always delicious. The coffee is pretty amazing, too.
Michelle Ma
Google · May 2021
The aggregate sits at 4.9 stars across 9 curated reviews. The soup is the most-named dish.
People always ask
About the soup.
If we missed something, the cafe phone is the fastest way.
Call 519-883-0105- What is in the Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup?
- Hand-roasted red peppers, vine-ripe tomatoes, aromatics, and time. We slow-simmer it every morning. The recipe has not changed in close to a decade.
- Is the soup vegetarian or vegan?
- It is vegetarian. The base is plant-forward, and we finish each bowl with a small swirl of cream by default. Ask for it without and we serve it that way, no charge.
- Can I get the soup by the jar?
- Yes. Call 519-883-0105 or send a note via the contact form. We jar it the morning you pick up. Larger orders need 24 hours notice.
- Where can I buy The Java Garden soup in Waterloo?
- Only at the cafe at 600 Laurelwood Drive, Unit 200, Waterloo. We do not wholesale yet. The cafe is the only place to get the bowl, and the only place to pick up jars.
- How many bowls have you sold?
- Over 250,000 since we opened in 2013, and the counter keeps moving.
- Do you ship the soup?
- No. The soup is hand-jarred and best within 48 hours of pickup. We keep the radius small on purpose.