Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic and Herbs
Roasted tomato soup is one of my go to recipes when the tomatoes start piling up on the counter and my family isn’t eating enough tomato toast! It all starts with a lovely batch of roasted tomatoes.
More classic soup recipes: Classic French Onion Soup, Potato Leek Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup.
My mom used to make tomato soup by simmering the tomatoes with a bit of water in a pot until they were soft enough to squish through a sieve with the back of a spoon. Then she’d add white rice, which would swell up and make for a nice thick soup the next day. That soup will always have a special place in my heart and every now and then I’ll make stove top tomato soup the way mom did. But now that I’ve discovered the more aromatic and sweet flavor you get with roasted tomatoes, I usually make this roasted tomato soup.
What kind of Tomatoes to use?
You could make it with store bought tomatoes at any time of the year because roasting will give even those pale store bought tomatoes more flavor. But it’s extra good when made with local, seasonal tomatoes. Whether home grown or from a farmer’s market get yourself a couple of pounds of tasty ripe tomatoes, they can be tiny grape tomatoes, oblong paste tomatoes or big round slicing tomatoes. Try to ensure the majority of the tomatoes are ripe to overripe. The more green tomatoes or underripe tomatoes you use, the less sweet and flavorful your soup will be.
How to Roast Tomatoes
When roasting the tomatoes, I like to add garlic, onions, hot peppers and fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, marjoram or rosemary. I don’t use fresh basil while roasting because it will burn and turn bitter, I save the fresh basil to garnish the soup once it’s being served. How much and whether you use any of these add-ons at all is totally up to you. Go by your taste preferences and what you have available to you.
Alrighty, with some of that ground work out of the way, here’s my recipe.
Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe
Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lbs ripe tomatoes (any size, any type)
- 1 onion chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
- 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped in half or quarters
- 1-3 hot peppers cut in half, seeded any variety
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2-3 sprigs oregano or thyme (1/2 tsp dried)
- 3 cups chicken or veggie soup stock
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp fresh grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°C.
- Dice tomatoes into even sized pieces and spread on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Add onion, garlic and hot peppers. Coat with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle oregano or thyme on top.
- Roast for 45 to 60 minutes until liquid has evaporated. Stir several times.
- Transfer to soup pot. Remove hot peppers and any woody herb stems.
- Add soup stock, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
- Use an immersion blender to puree soup into a smooth consistency. If desired, press through sieve for even finer consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. If it’s a little too acidic add a pinch of sugar, ½ cup of fresh cream or coconut milk. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan.
Video
What to Serve with Roasted Tomato Soup
Mmm, so good! Perfect with some homemade sourdough. Or how about a nice grilled cheese sandwich to go with that?!
It may not look pretty when it’s in the pot waiting to be blended and plated – but trust me, it’ll be beautiful and delicious. If you find your blender doesn’t quite get all the bits and pieces, you can always strain it through a sieve or food mill for that extra smooth finish.
I hope you’ll enjoy this roasted tomato soup recipe as much as we do. It’s a great way to use up all those tasty garden tomatoes.
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