Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

As a kid, tomato soup meant opening a can, and it was one of the first things I was trusted to “cook.” This version leaves the can opener in the drawer. Creamy roasted tomato soup starts with fresh tomatoes, shallots, red bell pepper, and whole heads of garlic roasted on a sheet pan until the edges char, then gets blended with fresh basil and heavy cream. It’s ready in about an hour and is one of our winter comfort meals. Jim and I love homemade tomato soup with our grilled pimento cheese sandwich, or a caprese panini when we want something a little more grown-up.

Want To Save This Recipe For Later?

Enter your email to have this recipe sent to your inbox.

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Casual Epicure.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.

• Mixed tomatoes: Any combination works, from Romas to cherry tomatoes. Cut the larger ones in half or quarters so everything is roughly the same size and roasts at the same pace. No need to peel them first, since the skins blend into the soup.
• Red bell pepper: Roasted until blistered, it brings a natural sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes, so the soup doesn’t need any sugar.
• Shallots: Lightly roasting them browns the edges and leaves the interior soft and tender, adding depth without competing with the tomatoes.
• Garlic: Roasting turns the cloves jammy and mellows the sharp bite of raw garlic, so two small heads won’t overpower the soup. If your heads are large, one is plenty.
• Heavy cream: The cream adds a silky, smooth mouthfeel and softens the tomatoes’ acidity, too. Add it at the end, after the roasted vegetables have cooled slightly and been blended, so it never simmers and has little chance of breaking.
• Vegetable broth: Half a cup keeps the soup thicker, which is how we like it. For a thinner soup, add more broth a splash at a time after blending. Store-bought broths can vary a lot in sodium, so we use our low-sodium vegetable broth recipe to control the soup’s seasoning.

How to Make Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.

Pro-tip: We skip straining, since our high-powered blender purées the skins and seeds completely. With a standard blender, a few bits can slip through, so pour the soup through a fine-mesh strainer for a smoother texture.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the tomatoes, shallots, and bell pepper out on the sheet pan(s) in a single layer, with the tomatoes cut side up. The vegetables can touch but shouldn’t overlap, since piled-up vegetables steam in their own juices instead of browning, which can make the soup taste flat. If everything won’t fit, split it between two pans. Tuck the foil-wrapped garlic into any open spots.

After 35 to 40 minutes in the oven, the tomatoes should be slumping and starting to break down. The shallots will be lightly browned on the edges and soft all the way through, and the pepper skin will be blistered with a few charred spots. Oven temperatures vary. If the vegetables still look pale, continue roasting for a few more minutes. Browning is where most of the flavor comes from. Let everything cool for about 10 minutes. This lets some moisture escape, making it easier to control how thick or smooth your soup is. Hot vegetables also release steam that expands rapidly inside a sealed blender.

Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into the blender with the roasted vegetables, then scrape in all the juice from the pan(s). The vegetables hold enough heat from the oven that the basil and broth can go into the blender as is, with no need to warm them first.

Most of the soup’s body comes from blending the vegetables completely smooth, so give it a full minute or two before adding the cream. Once you add the cream, the color softens from deep red to orange-red. Taste before serving and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Tomatoes vary in sweetness and acidity from batch to batch.

Storage and Reheating

How to Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. We’ve frozen it with the cream already stirred in, and it reheated with no problem.

How to Reheat: Warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, and don’t let it boil so the cream stays smooth. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator first. If it has thickened, stir in a splash of broth.