Warm up with this Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup—rich, velvety, and full of fresh roasted flavor. The perfect cozy recipe for lunch, dinner, or a rainy day!
There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup—simple, silky, and bursting with real flavor. Pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich or crusty bread, and you’ve got the ultimate comfort meal for any season.
Ingredients (Serves 4–6 Generously)
Room-temperature veg roasts more evenly. Weigh when possible for repeatable results.
For The Roast:
- Ripe tomatoes, mixed (Roma/plum + vine + a few cherries for sweetness): 1.8 kg total
- Target: ~10–12 medium or 8 large + 200 g cherry tomatoes
- Yellow onions: 2 medium (300 g), peeled, cut into thick wedges
- Whole garlic: 1 large head (60–70 g), top sliced off to expose cloves
- Carrots: 2 medium (200 g), peeled, cut into 2 cm chunks (natural sweetness, body)
- Red bell pepper: 1 large (180–200 g), seeded, quartered (smoky sweetness)
- Extra-virgin olive oil: 60 ml (¼ cup)
- Fine sea salt: 2 tsp, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper: ¾ tsp
- Fresh thyme sprigs: 6
- Fresh rosemary: 1 small sprig
- Smoked paprika (sweet): ½ tsp (sub regular paprika if needed)
For The Pot:
- Tomato paste (double-concentrated): 2 tbsp (30 g)
- Red pepper flakes: ¼ tsp (gentle heat; adjust)
- Low-sodium vegetable stock (or chicken stock): 750–900 ml (start with 750 ml; add to consistency)
- Balsamic vinegar, well-aged: 1 tbsp
- Maple syrup or honey: 1–2 tsp (balances acidity; use 1 tsp first)
- Bay leaf: 1
- Fresh basil: 15–20 leaves (plus extra for garnish)
For Finish & Texture:
- Unsalted butter: 20 g (optional richness; use olive oil for vegan)
- Coconut milk (full-fat) or heavy cream: 60–120 ml to taste (silk factor)
- Lemon juice: 1–2 tsp, fresh (brightness at the end)
- Extra-virgin olive oil: 1 tbsp, for drizzling
To Serve (Choose Your Personality):
- Greek yogurt or crème fraîche swirl
- Chili oil dots
- Garlic-herb croutons
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Shaved Parm
- Grilled cheese soldiers (I won’t stop you!)
Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup
1. Heat The Stage
Slide your oven racks to upper-middle and middle positions. Preheat to 220°C / 425°F. Line two large sheet pans with parchment for easy deglazing.
2. Build The Sheet-Pan Symphony
- Halve medium/large tomatoes; keep cherry tomatoes whole. Lay cut-side up so juices don’t flood the pan.
- Scatter onion wedges, carrot chunks, and bell pepper quarters around them.
- Nestle the garlic head (cut-side up) into a tomato cradle so it won’t tilt. Tuck in thyme and rosemary.
- Sprinkle smoked paprika, 1½ tsp salt, and pepper over everything.
- Dress with ¼ cup olive oil so surfaces glisten but don’t swim.
3. Roast For Real Flavor
- Roast 35–45 minutes, rotating pans halfway. You’re looking for collapsed tomatoes with caramelized rims, blistered cherry tomatoes, softened peppers, and edges of onion just browning.
- If your oven runs cool, give it 5–10 more minutes; color equals flavor.
4. Coax Out The Garlic Gold
- Pull pans. Squeeze the roasted garlic head from the base so the cloves slide out like soft caramel.
- Fish out woody rosemary stem and thyme sticks (leaves can stay).
- Tip all roasted veg, juices, and garlic into a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
- If bits cling to parchment, pour a splash of stock on the hot pan and scrape—the browned fond is free umami. Add that to the pot.
5. Stack The Umami
- Stir in tomato paste and red pepper flakes over medium heat for 1 minute to toast.
- Add bay leaf, balsamic, 750 ml stock, 1 tsp maple/honey, and basil leaves. Bring to a confident simmer.
- Cook 12–15 minutes, uncovered, to let flavors marry and volume reduce slightly. Aroma check: sweet-roasty, not raw-acidic.
6. Blend To Velvet
- Fish out bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend until glossy-smooth (2–3 minutes).
- For ultimate silk, work in two batches in a high-speed blender (vent the lid; steam burns) and pass through a fine-mesh sieve. Return to pot.
7. Finish Like A Pro
- Over low heat, whisk in butter (or a spoon of olive oil) and 60–120 ml cream or coconut milk until the color softens to your favorite shade of sunset.
- Taste. Add ½ tsp remaining salt if needed. Squeeze in 1–2 tsp lemon juice for sparkle.
- If the tomatoes were very tart, whisper in that second 1 tsp of maple/honey. Texture check: coat-the-spoon, not paste.
8. Serve With Theater
- Ladle into warm bowls. Drizzle a thread of olive oil.
- Add a yogurt or cream ripple, a basil confetti, and a few chili-oil dots if you like drama.
- Park something to dunk on the rim. You just turned a rainy day into a ritual with this delicious homemade roasted tomato soup!
Why This Bowl Wins (And How To Adjust It To You)
- Mixed Tomatoes, Layered Sweetness: Roma for body, vine for acidity, cherries for natural sugar—balanced without added sugar overload.
- Roast First, Soup Second: Caramelization builds complexity that simmer-only soups never reach.
- Balsamic + Lemon = Control: One deep, one bright—your acidity is engineered, not guessed.
- Stock Discipline: Start with 750 ml so you control thickness; thin at the end if you like it sippier.
- Cream As A Tool, Not A Crutch: A small pour polishes edges without muting tomato character.
Make It Yours (Without Breaking The Spell)
- Vegan & Dairy-Free: Use olive oil instead of butter; finish with coconut milk or cashew cream.
- Protein Boost: Stir in 400 g cooked white beans when simmering, then blend; the body becomes luxurious.
- Roasted Red Pepper Twist: Add a second pepper and bump smoked paprika to 1 tsp for a campfire vibe.
- Herb Variations: Swap basil for tarragon for a French wink; add a handful of parsley stems in the simmer for herb backbone.
Croutons Worth The Minute (Optional But Powerful)
Toss 3 cups of 2 cm sourdough cubes with 1½ tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp dried oregano, and a pinch of salt. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 8–10 minutes, shaking once. They’ll armor your soup like little edible rafts.
Storage, Freezing, Reheat
- Fridge: Cool quickly and refrigerate in airtight containers up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze plain soup (without dairy) up to 3 months. Thaw overnight. Reheat gently; then swirl in cream/coconut milk and lemon right before serving to keep it glossy.
- Next-Day Upgrade: A teaspoon of pesto whisked in at serving is scandalously good.
When the spoons slow and the table goes quiet, you’ll know you nailed it—this is your forever homemade roasted tomato soup!
