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My favorite roasted tomato soup recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and tastes so fresh and delicious. Feel free to add cream if you’d like!
End-of-season tomatoes are overflowing in gardens and farmers markets everywhere right now, which always means one thing here in our home…
…time to make my favorite roasted tomato soup! ♡
I’m convinced that a fresh and cozy bowl of homemade tomato soup is the perfect recipe to bridge that liminal space this time of year between summer and autumn. And this roasted tomato soup recipe in particular happens to be one of my all-time faves.
It features a short and simple ingredient list, including a few of my favorite seasonings plus whatever variety of small- to medium-sized tomatoes happen to look best that day. It’s easy to make in just a little over a half hour with minimal prep time. It’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, although you are welcome to add in some cream or cheese if you’d like. And if you happen to have some leftover bread on hand, I would also highly recommend making some homemade croutons or grilled cheese (or grilled cheese croutons, see below) to go with your tomato soup — always such a nostalgic and delicious combo!
Seriously, in my book, it doesn’t get any better than homemade tomato soup that’s made with fresh, ripe, in-season tomatoes that have been roasted down until they are irresistibly concentrated and sweet. So let’s make the most of tomato season while it still lasts!
Roasted Tomato Soup Ingredients
Before we get to the full roasted tomato soup recipe detailed below, here are a few notes about the ingredients that you will need…
- Ripe tomatoes: I find that roasted tomato soup is best when made with varieties of small- to medium-sized tomatoes, such as cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes or cluster tomatoes (a.k.a. tomatoes on the vine). Ripe, in-season tomatoes will make all the difference here, so choose whichever tomatoes look the best!
- Onion and garlic: I prefer the flavor of sautéed onion and garlic in tomato soup, but you are welcome to roast these ingredients along with the tomatoes in the oven if you prefer. (If so, their flavor will be a bit sweeter.) Just be sure to leave the peels on the garlic cloves when roasting and keep a close eye on them so that they do not burn.
- Fresh basil: I love puréeing fresh basil leaves directly into the soup itself, but you are welcome to leave out the basil and just offer it as an optional garnish if you prefer.
- Smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper: I think you are going to love the subtle depth of flavor that smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes bring to this soup, plus sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper are essential for seasoning as always. The amount of crushed red pepper flakes included in the recipe below is quite mild, so feel free to add double if you would like the soup to have a more noticeable kick.
- Vegetable broth: You’re welcome to use either vegetable or chicken broth as the base for this soup.
- Olive oil: I wrote the recipe below using exclusively olive oil to keep it dairy-free. But I can vouch that it’s also extra-delicious with a pat of butter stirred in at the very end just before serving.
- Toppings: Some of my favorite topping options include freshly-grated cheese (Parmesan, cheddar, gruyere, or whatever sounds good), a drizzle of heavy cream or olive oil, homemade croutons (or grilled cheese croutons, see below), a pat of sour cream and/or extra fresh basil.
Tips for How To Make Tomato Soup
Also, here are a few of my best tips for how to make the best tomato soup!
- Use the ripest tomatoes possible. The flavor of this soup will rise and fall based on the quality of your tomatoes, so choose whatever tomatoes are in season and look the ripest. That said, if you happen to be making this soup in the wintertime, small cherry or grape tomatoes will probably be your best bet.
- The texture is up to you. Feel free to blend this soup to be however chunky or smooth that you prefer. I love mine as smooth as possible, so I typically blend it for at least a few minutes.
- Be careful when blending. As always, please please be careful when puréeing hot liquids, especially if you are using a traditional blender (since hot liquids expand when blended). See instructions in the notes below the recipe if you are using a traditional blender.
- Season to taste. I wrote this recipe using a fairly subtle amount of smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes since they are added in the sauté to bring out their best flavor. But please feel free to add in some extra at the end just before serving if you would like to amp up those flavors! Also don’t forget to add salt and pepper as needed.
Optional Variations
Here are a few variations you’re welcome to try with this roasted tomato soup recipe too…
- Add cream: Drizzle or stir in however much heavy cream (or half and half) that you prefer. Or feel free to use a dairy-free alternative such as coconut cream or cashew cream.
- Add bacon: I also adore tomato soup with bacon bits sprinkled on top. Be sure to save that extra bacon grease, too, to sauté the onion and garlic for extra flavor.
- Add beans or potato: If you would like to make the soup extra-creamy without adding in heavy cream, feel free to add in a can of drained white beans or sauté a small Russet potato in with the veggies. You may need to add in a bit of extra veggie stock and adjust the seasonings, but either of these ingredients will help to make the texture even more creamy.
- Add pesto: In lieu of using fresh basil, try drizzling a swirl of basil pesto into each bowl. Delicious!
- Add sugar: Many tomato soup recipes call for added sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. I find that roasting the tomatoes adds plenty of sweetness, but feel free to add in a few teaspoons of sugar too if you would like.
- Make grilled cheese croutons: For a fun twist on tomato soup with grilled cheese, try making grilled cheese croutons! Simply cook up one or two grilled cheese sandwiches, slice them into small bite-sized cubes, and sprinkle them on each serving as “croutons.”
More Favorite Tomato Soup Recipes
More Favorite Tomato Soup Recipes Looking for some more tomato-based soup recipes to try this season? Here are a few of my faves…
Description
My favorite roasted tomato soup recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and tastes SO fresh and delicious. Feel free to add cream if you’d like!
- 3 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (any small- to medium-sized tomatoes will do)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh basil leaves
- optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan, drizzle of heavy cream or olive oil, croutons, sour cream or fresh basil
- Roast the tomatoes. Heat oven to 450°F. Quarter the tomatoes (or halve them, if they are small) and arrange them cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with a few pinches of salt and black pepper. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until softened, then transfer baking sheet to a wire rack.
- Sauté the onion and garlic. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
- Put it all together. Add the broth, basil, and the roasted tomatoes (once they are ready) with their juices and stir to combine.
- Purée. Using a handheld immersion blender (or see instructions below for using a traditional blender), purée the soup until it reaches your desired texture.
- Season. Taste the soup and season with extra salt, pepper, and/or smoked paprika as needed.
- Serve. Serve warm, garnished with any extra toppings you would like, and enjoy!
Notes
Traditional blender option: To purée the soup using a traditional blender, transfer it to the blender in one or two batches (depending on the size of your blender; you don’t want to fill it more than 3/4 full with a hot liquid). Tent the cap of the lid slightly open (facing away from you to prevent any splatters) so that the hot air can escape, then slowly increase the speed and blend until the soup reaches your desired texture. Hot liquids expand when blended, so always be sure that there is room for the hot air to escape.
