Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted tomato soup is made with ripe tomatoes roasted alongside onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. The roasting brings out a natural sweetness and deep, rich flavor, while slightly caramelizing the vegetables adds an irresistible depth to this simple soup. Easy to prepare and full of cozy, comforting flavor, it’s perfect for a chilly day or anytime you need a warming bowl of goodness.

Love More Apple Desserts Recipes? Try My Poblano Chicken Tortilla Soup or this Wild Mushroom, Caramelized Onion and Kale Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Roasting the tomatoes and vegetables brings out a natural sweetness and deep, rich flavor that makes this soup irresistible. Even winter tomatoes taste amazing, and it’s surprisingly kid-friendly. Quick to prepare with minimal effort, it’s a cozy, comforting dish the whole family will enjoy.

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Ingredient List

For the Roasted Tomatoes:

• 3½ lbs ripe small- to medium-sized tomatoes (whatever looks decent – cherry, grape, Roma, regular. I’ve used all of them), cut up however
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (cheap stuff is fine, save your fancy oil)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the Soup Base:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped (yellow tastes better but white works)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced (or that jar stuff, whatever)
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika (this is the secret, don’t skip)
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I use more because I like heat)
• 2½ cups vegetable broth (or chicken if you don’t care about vegan – I use Better Than Bouillon)
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves (grocery store basil is fine)

Optional Toppings:

• Good parmesan cheese (not the shaker stuff)
• Heavy cream or olive oil
• Grilled cheese cut into cubes for croutons
• Sour cream
• More basil
• Bacon bits if you eat meat
• Everything bagel seasoning (sounds weird but trust me)

Why These Ingredients Work

Roasting tomatoes concentrates all the good stuff and gets rid of the watery blah parts. Water evaporates, sugars get caramelized, acids calm down. It’s science but it works like magic.

Found out about smoked paprika by accident when I grabbed the wrong jar. Best mistake ever. Adds this subtle smoky thing that people can’t figure out. My dad’s still trying to guess what it is. Doesn’t taste like BBQ sauce or anything obvious, just makes everything better.

Basil goes in during blending, not sprinkled on top like decoration. Learned this from watching cooking shows instead of sleeping. When you blend herbs into soup, every bite tastes herby instead of just the lucky spoonfuls that get a leaf.

Onion and garlic are basic soup building blocks. Nothing fancy, just stuff that’s worked forever. But here’s what I figured out accidentally – using real broth instead of water makes this taste like restaurant soup. First time I used water because I was out of broth and it was boring and flat even with all the roasted tomatoes. Broth adds layers without fighting the tomato flavor.

Don’t waste your expensive finishing oil on roasting. Regular olive oil works perfect and won’t make you cry when you calculate how much you spent on one soup.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big baking sheet (I use those restaurant half-sheet pans)
• Large pot or Dutch oven (needs to hold everything)
• Immersion blender (or regular blender but it’s annoying)
• Sharp knife (makes onion chopping less miserable)
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Wooden spoon
• Ladle

How To Make Roasted Tomato Soup

Step 1: Roast Those Beautiful Tomatoes

Heat oven to 450°F and actually wait for it to get there. I use an oven thermometer because mine runs cold and I spent years wondering why my food looked nothing like the pictures online.

Cut tomatoes however – halves, quarters, chunks. Don’t stress about making them match. Life’s too short for perfect tomato geometry. Spread on big baking sheet cut side up with space between them. Crowded tomatoes steam instead of roast and steamed tomatoes are sad.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over everything in squiggly lines. Sprinkle salt and pepper like you mean it. Use more than seems right because some stays on the pan.

Stick in oven and set timer for 30 minutes. Don’t peek before then or you lose heat and mess up the roasting. They’re done when they’re shrunky and have brown crispy edges – some might look burned but that’s perfect. Kitchen will smell like Italian heaven.

Step 2: Build Your Flavor Base

While tomatoes roast, heat last tablespoon oil in your biggest pot over medium heat. Not high or you’ll burn stuff and ruin everything. Medium gives you control.

Add chopped onion and cook till soft and see-through – takes 5-7 minutes depending how small you chopped. Don’t rush this. Proper cooked onions are sweet and mellow. Raw-ish onions make soup taste sharp and wrong.

Add garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for exactly 2 minutes – I set a timer because garlic burns fast and bitter garlic ruins everything. Kitchen smells incredible now and everyone starts wandering over asking what’s for dinner.

Paprika blooms in the oil and turns everything reddish. That’s what you want. Don’t let anything stick or burn.

Step 3: Bring It All Together

When timer goes off, tomatoes should look shriveled and caramelized and smell amazing. Scrape every single tomato into the pot with all the pan juices – those brown bits are flavor gold you can’t make any other way.

Add broth and basil. Looks chunky and gross right now, totally normal. Don’t panic.

Blend everything smooth with immersion blender – takes 2-3 minutes moving it around to get all chunks. Regular blender works but let soup cool first and do small batches. Fill halfway max and hold lid down with kitchen towel.

Step 4: Perfect Your Masterpiece

Taste it. Needs salt, guaranteed. Probably way more than you think. Tomatoes are acidic and need salt to balance. Start with a teaspoon, taste, keep adding till it’s right.

Maybe add more smoked paprika – I usually do because I’m obsessed. Too acidic? Add teaspoon sugar. Too thick? Add more broth. Too thin? Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

You Must Know

Roasting isn’t optional – tried this with raw tomatoes once when I was lazy. Huge mistake. Tasted flat and watery and boring. Oven transforms crappy tomatoes into something incredible. Don’t skip even if you’re tempted.

Personal Secret: Before blending, I fish out 6-8 of the best roasted tomato chunks and save them. After blending smooth, stir them back in. Makes soup look rustic instead of baby food smooth. Guests always comment on those little flavor bombs.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Restaurant smooth: Pour through fine strainer after blending when you want to show off
• Space matters: Tomatoes need room on the pan or they steam instead of roast. Use two pans if needed
• Winter tomato salvation: Even gross off-season tomatoes taste amazing roasted. Oven fixes everything
• Tomorrow’s better: Soup tastes way better next day when flavors get friendly
• Freezer genius: Make double, freeze in mason jars leaving 2 inches space or they crack
• Easy cleanup: Parchment paper on baking sheet saves scrubbing time
• Garlic shortcut: Jarred minced garlic works fine. Use 1 tablespoon instead of 5 cloves
• No broth backup: Chicken broth or salted water with bouillon cube works
• Salt strategy: Add gradually, taste constantly. Can’t take it back once it’s in
• Herb hack: Wilting basil goes in water like flowers, cover with plastic bag

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

• Creamy comfort: Stir in butter before blending or swirl cream in bowls. Mom’s favorite
• Bacon explosion: Cook bacon first, save bits for topping, use fat to cook onions – incredible
• Dairy-free thick: Blend in cooked white beans or potato for body without dairy
• Pesto paradise: Use pesto instead of plain basil – adds garlic and pine nuts
• Less acid: Add sugar if tomatoes are too tart, or tiny pinch baking soda
• Spicy version: More red pepper flakes or add jalapeño with onions
• Herb garden: Try oregano, thyme, rosemary instead of basil
• Red pepper bonus: Roast bell peppers with tomatoes for sweetness and color
• Mediterranean: Add sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic before blending
• Coconut cream: Replace dairy with coconut milk for tropical vegan version
• Roasted garlic: Roast whole garlic head with tomatoes, squeeze cloves in soup

Make-Ahead Options

This soup saves my butt on crazy weeknights. Roast tomatoes 2 days ahead and refrigerate – they get even more flavorful sitting around somehow.

Finished soup keeps 5 days in fridge and tastes better as leftovers when everything melds together. Always make extra because leftover tomato soup is like finding twenty dollars in old jeans.

For freezing, I use wide mason jars leaving exactly 2 inches space or they explode in the freezer. Learned this destroying three jars and making tomato soup ice everywhere that took forever to clean.

Freezes perfect for 3 months. Always have some for sick days, surprise guests, or when I’m too tired to cook but want real food.

Best freezing trick: ice cube trays first, then transfer cubes to bags. Single servings that thaw fast. Husband takes frozen cubes in lunch thermos – perfectly thawed by noon.

Can also freeze just the roasted tomatoes before making soup. Freeze on sheet, then bag up. Keeps 6 months and you can make fresh soup anytime.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Temperature matters: Wait for full 450°F preheat or tomatoes won’t caramelize right. I use oven thermometer because mine lies. Proper heat makes those crispy edges that create the flavor.

Hot soup danger: Regular blender with hot soup can explode. Hot liquid expands and blows lids off – painted my ceiling once. Let cool 10 minutes, fill halfway max, hold lid with towel.

Basil timing: Add right before blending to keep bright green and fresh. Too early and it turns brown and tastes cooked instead of fresh.

Salt gradually: Start less than you think, taste, adjust. Can always add more but can’t take it back. Every tomato batch needs different amounts.

Serving Suggestions

Grilled cheese is obvious but there’s so much more:

Bread stuff: Sourdough for dipping, garlic bread, focaccia, buttered toast strips Protein: Leftover chicken stirred in, pancetta bits, hard-boiled egg halves
Cheese options: Fresh mozzarella, parmesan shavings, goat cheese, sharp cheddar Fancy garnishes: Pesto swirl, balsamic drizzle, everything seasoning, fried basil Comfort combos: Mac and cheese, winter dinners, sick day food.

How to Store Your Roasted Tomato Soup

Fridge: Glass containers up to 5 days. Plastic stains and holds tomato smell forever Freezer: Freezer containers up to 3 months. Leave headspace for expansion. Label everything because frozen soup looks identical Reheating: Stovetop over medium-low, stir often. Microwave works but stir every 30 seconds. Add broth if too thick Portions: Various sizes – individual jars, family containers, ice cube singles. Makes thawing exactly what you need easy

Allergy Information

Free of: Gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, soy (with vegetable broth) Vegan: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken – tastes exactly the same Dairy-free: Skip cheese/cream or use plant versions like cashew cream or nutritional yeast Nightshade sensitivity: Tomatoes are nightshades so this won’t work if you avoid them Low-FODMAP: Use garlic oil instead of fresh garlic, limit onion to ¼ cup

Works for most dietary weirdness which is why I make it when we have mixed groups. Everyone can eat it with their preferred toppings.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

How can I make it less acidic?

Add 1-2 teaspoons sugar to balance acid. Start with one, taste, add more if needed. Roasting already cuts acidity so don’t skip that step.

Why is my soup too thin/watery?

Simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes to reduce liquid and concentrate flavor. Or blend in tablespoon tomato paste for thickness and more tomato taste.

Can I use dried basil instead of fresh?

Fresh is way way better, but use 2 tablespoons dried if that’s all you got. Add it with other spices, not at end like fresh.

My soup tastes bland. What went wrong?

Needs more salt probably. Tomatoes are acidic and need salt to balance. Also make sure you didn’t skip roasting – that’s where flavor develops.

💬 Made this? Tell me how it went! Love hearing about people’s soup adventures and what toppings they discovered.