Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (with fresh tomatoes)
Has the weather taken a turn? Are you ditching your sandals and t-shirts in favor of cozy socks and warm sweaters? Then, my friend, it’s time to make a giant pot of Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup! Fresh tomatoes are roasted with bell peppers, garlic, onion, and fresh thyme. Then it’s all whizzed together and puréed with chicken broth and a touch of heavy cream. This comforting soup is like a giant warm hug and guaranteed to warm you up on the coldest of winter nights.
Have I mentioned that my husband isn’t a massive fan of soups? Our daughter, however, loves them just as much as I do! And now that she’s moved home for a bit after college (which makes me insanely happy!!), I can’t wait to make soup all winter long!
I asked her what soup recipe she wanted me to make first, and she instantly requested this recipe. It’s such a classic!! What’s not to love about a creamy tomato soup, right?
If you’ve never made soup before, consider this a sign you absolutely need to make it! Its flavor is unmatched and far superior to store-bought soup!! And I say this as a 70’s child who was practically raised on Campbell’s tomato soup. It’s so nostalgic, but once you make homemade and taste how fresh, vibrant, and flavorful it is, you won’t be buying any more cans of Campbell’s.
And, yes, soup takes time, but it’s so so worth it! And, speaking of time, having more of it is one of my favorite things about being an empty nester.
Instead of chaotic evenings running my kids to after-school activities, helping with homework, juggling laundry, and trying to maintain my sanity (which was a constant battle back in those days…..lol!), I have more time to make dinner. This season of life comes with so many changes, but having more time is, honestly, the best!
Why You’ll Want to Make this Tomato Soup Recipe on Repeat!
- It’s crazy easy! Roast tomatoes, purée, and enjoy! And, bonus, there’s no need to peel or deseed the tomatoes!
- Minimal dishes — you only need a roasting pan, soup pot and immersion blender (or regular blender)
- The flavor is sweet, not overly acidic, so gorgeously creamy with a just a hint of roasted garlic.
- Roasted tomatoes have a natural sweetness that elevates this simple soup recipe. It’s a perfect example of how a few simple ingredients can come together and make a mouth-watering recipe!
Star Ingredients (aka…..the ingredients that make this tomato soup shine!)
Fresh tomatoes — using fresh tomatoes absolutely makes a difference in the flavor! While canned tomatoes have a more acidic flavor, fresh tomatoes have a sweet flavor. It’s so worth ditching canned tomatoes and using fresh for this recipe! The best part is you can use whatever types of tomatoes you have on hand — cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes. Or, even better, use a combination of tomatoes!
Bell Pepper – using a red or yellow bell pepper (or both, if you like your soup extra sweet) adds another layer of flavor and sweetness to the recipe.
Balsamic Vinegar — this adds a sweet acidity to the flavor. Usually, tomatoes need a sprinkle of sugar to balance their acidity, but balsamic vinegar does that exact same thing and adds even more depth of flavor.
Garlic – raw garlic has a bite that can be really assertive in a dish. Roasting it mellows the flavor and intensifies the sweetness. Use 1 head…..or, if you’re a massive garlic lover, use 2 heads!
Tomato paste – sautéing this with diced onion creates a deep, rich tomato flavor that helps to balance the sweetness.
Heavy Cream – creates a luxurious, velvety texture that makes this creamy soup irresistible!
Let’s Make Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
Cut the tomatoes, red bell pepper, and yellow onion and place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Add a whole head of garlic and sprigs of fresh thyme. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper and roast.
While the vegetables are roasting, sauté diced onion and tomato paste in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
Add chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
This is what the veggies should look like when they’re roasted…..now it’s time to purée them!
Add vegetables, more chicken broth, and puree with an immersion blender.
Stir in cream and ladle into your favorite soup bowls! (Can you spy the grilled cheese in the background? lol!)
Substitutions (aka….what to use when you don’t have an ingredient)
If you want to make this dairy-free, you can absolutely use coconut milk in place of the cream. I wouldn’t use coconut cream, though, unless you love a very rich soup.
I love the rich flavor chicken broth adds to the recipe, but if you want to keep this vegetarian, you can absolutely use vegetable broth or vegetable stock instead.
When I was testing this recipe, my garden was brimming with fresh thyme, so that’s what I used. But you can also use fresh (or dried) rosemary or dried thyme instead. If you use dried herbs, cut the amount in half. Dried herbs are way more potent than fresh herbs, so you’ll need less of them to achieve the same flavor profile.
If you want a little kick of heat, stir in some red pepper flakes when you’re sautéing the onion and tomato paste.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can absolutely use a regular blender (I highly recommend a Vitamix, if you don’t already have one!). But, be very careful and let the soup cool before blending. The last thing you want is to splatter hot soup all over yourself! Trust me, I’ve done this and it’s not fun at all! A good tip for avoiding splatter, is to place a dish towel over the lid of your blender. Once you’ve blended the soup, give it a minute before gently taking off the lid, all while keeping the dish towel over it. This way, if there is any splatter, the dish towel will catch it and not your sweater.
What to Serve with Tomato Soup
Nothing goes better with tomato soup than a grilled cheese sandwich. So I highly recommend making one!
Another option is to serve this with a hunk of crusty bread — so perfect for dipping into the soup!
You can also go the salad route and serve it with this Fennel and Orange salad (perfectly crunchy, sweet and fresh!), or this Winter Kale Salad, or Shaved Brussels Sprout and Apple Salad.
My favorite topping is a drizzle of cream or extra virgin olive oil! You can also sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme, fresh basil leaves or, my daughter’s personal favorite, croutons.
Another delicious topping is grated Parmesan cheese. If you’ve made my Tomato Cheddar Soup recipe, you already know how much I love adding cheese to soup!
I‘m so excited for you to make this!! Don’t forget to leave a 5 ⭐️ review and let me know what you think! Your reviews and comments are so helpful to other hunger visitors to A Menu for You!! Thanks so much for all your support! ❤️
