This homemade Roasted Tomato Soup recipe starts with fresh tomatoes that develop a deep caramelized exterior as they roast in the oven. Serve with a swirl of basil pesto for a that fresh from the garden flavor!
My husband is home for lunch most days of the week. 🤪 After a while I realized that as much as I love feeding him healthy meals, it was taking WAY too much time. Luckily, he loves soup and most soups can be made in large batches and frozen in individual containers.
Inspired by Little Spice Jar with slight modifications. I roast fresh tomatoes and veggies at a higher heat to develop more caramelization, and I only use roma tomatoes because they are easy to find and a good price year round. This truly is a perfected roasted tomato soup recipe.
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Why it's great!
- It has rich flavor with a fresh pop from the basil pesto.
- Even though it takes time to roast the fresh tomatoes in the oven, this is a super easy recipe to throw together.
- It freezes beautifully!
- It is loaded with fresh vegetables and tremendously delicious without using butter or cream which makes me feel like I am serving something healthy.
Ingredients for roasted tomato soup
- Tomatoes: As I stated above, I only use roma tomatoes for this recipe. They are easy to find and relatively inexpensive all year. Roasting them develops their flavor, so I prefer to save premium tomatoes for fresh applications.
- Onion: Sweet onion is best here, but a regular yellow onion will work.
- Garlic: I used pre-minced garlic from the jar. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand. If using whole cloves be sure to peel them before roasting.
- Carrots: Adds thickness and sweetness to the soup.
- Salt & Pepper: I always use kosher salt and ground pepper.
- Chicken broth: You can use vegetable broth if desired, but chicken broth will provide a deeper flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: An acidic punch at the end that really sets this soup apart.
- Red pepper flakes: A little goes a long way. It has just enough of a kick that makes it amazing. If you really don't care for heat feel free to leave it out.
- Basil pesto: While this ingredient is optional, I wouldn't skip it. The basil, cheese, and oil add the perfect amount of freshness.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make roasted tomato soup
This is the kind of soup I like to make when I am doing kitchen chores. It's easy, but does require checking from time to time. Plus I love that the house gets filled with the deep scent of caramelized veggies while I clean out a drawer or do some dishes.
Roasting
Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Add the prepped veggies to a baking sheet with sides. My favorite ones are these ones from Sam's Club, but you can find good ones at restaurant supplies or Amazon. Drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the veggies for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven. Take them out and flip them over.
When I put them back in for the last 25-30 minutes, I like to put them on the bottom rack so they get a little more caramelized. You will have to gauge where to put them in your oven based on how dark they are getting. I cook so much that I have learned where the hot spots are in my oven and how to navigate the position of things. Hopefully it never breaks. 🙏🏻
Blending
During the second half of roasting, gently warm the stock in a pot on the stove. Add the roasted veggies to the pot and with an immersion blender carefully (it's hot!) blend until smooth.
Alternatively, you can blend in at least two batches in a blender. Hot soup expands when in goes in a blender which can cause it to burst out of the top. Just be careful and don't overfill it. Also, open the lid away from you so that the steam doesn't burn you. This sounds scarier than it actually is, but I want you to be as safe as possible.
TIP: If the roasted veggies leave a good amount of caramelized bits on the sheet pan, take a small amount of stock and add it to the hot sheet pan once the veggies are removed. Then use a rubber scraper or spatula to scrape the caramelized bits off the pan. All of that is flavor. Add the stock and bits to the stock pot and blend in with the rest of the ingredients.
Serving
Once the soup is blended, stir in the vinegar and pepper flakes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. When serving add a dollop of pesto to each bowl if desired.
Traditionally, a roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese are served together, but garlic toast or salads are great options as well.
For a crowd
The size of your oven and stock pots will determine how many recipes can be made at once. Feel free to do things in batches. Either use a giant stock pot or divide the soup between two pots.
If you make this ahead and reheat before serving, either do so on the stove top with gentle heat or in a slow cooker. Heating it too fast will burn the bottom. Or place in a slow cooker(s) on high for 2-3 hours until hot, stirring every hour or so. Once the soup is at the desired temperature turn the slow cooker to the keep warm setting.
FAQs
This soup can be frozen individually or in a larger container for a family dinner. Thaw completely before reheating.
Tomato soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-6 days in a sealed container or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
The main differences between tomato bisque and tomato soup is the use of heavy cream and a stock that is made from shellfish. This recipe doesn't use heavy cream or shellfish stock so it would be considered soup and not bisque.
Usually if tomato soup is bitter, it's because the tomatoes that were used were acidic and nothing was done to counter the acidity. In this case the roasting of the tomatoes eliminates the bitterness by concentrating the natural sugar in the tomatoes and making them sweet.
Tips and tricks
- Roast the veggies and fresh tomatoes until they have some dark color. This is what gives it all the flavor!
- Take a splash or two of the stock and add it to the sheet pan once the roasted veggies are removed. Use a spatula to scrape all the brown bits off the sheet pan. Then pour all that goodness into the pot before blending.
- Clean the pan while it is still warm - it will be much easier to clean!
Other great recipes
- This Chicken Tortilla Soup is a family favorite that uses fresh tomatoes in the base.
- This 4-ingredient Potato Soup is a masterful soup made in the slow cooker. Perfect for when your pantry is getting sparse.
- This Sausage Potato Soup Recipe comes together in 30 minutes with just one pot!
- This Carroll Shelby Chili is super easy and perfect for weeknight dinner or serving a crowd.
- Quinoa Salads are a perfect accompaniment for this soup. Try this Greek Quinoa Salad Bowl or this Lemon Quinoa Salad with Feta.
- Try this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe for a delicious and cozy fall meal with minimal chopping.
Recipe
Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs roma tomatoes* tops removed and cut in half
- 1 medium sweet or yellow onion peel removed and cut into very large chunks
- 3 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut in half, or 5 oz baby carrots
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 4 cups chicken broth may substitute vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- basil pesto for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Place tomatoes, onion, carrots, and garlic on an unlined baking sheet (I leave the garlic in a small pile). It will fit pretty snuggly. Drizzle everything with olive oil, salt, and pepper.3 lbs roma tomatoes*, 1 medium sweet or yellow onion, 3 tablespoon garlic, minced, 3 large carrots, ¼ cup olive oil, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
- Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the veggies over. Roast for another 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently warm the broth in a pot on the stove. Once the vegetables are finished, remove from the oven and add to the pot. If there are caramelized bits on the sheet pan, add a splash or two of chicken broth and scrap to remove them. Use an immersion blender to blend everything until completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender you can do it in batches in a regular blender.4 cups chicken broth
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and pepper flakes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with basil pesto.2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, basil pesto
Notes
- Roast the veggies and fresh tomatoes until they have some dark color. This is what gives it all the flavor!
- Take a splash or two of the stock and add it to the sheet pan once the roasted veggies are removed. Use a spatula to scrape all the brown bits off the sheet pan. Then pour all that goodness into the pot before blending.
- Clean the pan while it is still warm - it will be much easier to clean!
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
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