Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (Printable)

A vibrant, velvety soup featuring roasted tomatoes blended with cream and served with crisp homemade croutons for the ultimate comfort.

# What You Need:

→ For the Soup

01 - 1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large onion, quartered
03 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 2 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tsp sugar
11 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
12 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

→ For the Homemade Croutons

13 - 2 cups day-old bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
16 - 1/4 tsp salt
17 - 1/4 tsp dried oregano

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat your oven to 425°F.
02 - Arrange tomatoes cut side up, onion quarters, and peeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
03 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tomatoes are caramelized and tender.
04 - Toss bread cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and dried oregano. Spread on a separate baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside.
05 - Transfer roasted vegetables to a large pot. Add vegetable broth and tomato paste. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - Add basil leaves, then blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.
07 - Return soup to the pot. Stir in heavy cream and sugar if needed to balance acidity. Taste and adjust seasoning. Heat gently without boiling.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl with extra cream, sprinkle with croutons, and garnish with fresh basil.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The roasting process concentrates the tomato flavor in a way that will make you question why you ever ate the canned stuff.
  • You can make it ahead and it actually tastes even better the next day when all those beautiful flavors have had time to get friendly with each other.
02 -
  • I once forgot to remove the bay leaf before blending and had to strain the entire batch through a fine mesh sieve, so always double check what goes into the blender.
  • Adding a splash of balsamic vinegar right at the end brightens the entire flavor profile in a way that changed my soup game forever.
03 -
  • After years of making this soup, Ive found that letting the roasted vegetables cool for about 5 minutes before blending results in a silkier texture and prevents the cream from separating.
  • Reserve about a quarter cup of the roasted tomato mixture before blending and stir it back in at the end for a soup with more textural interest and rustic appeal.
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