Easy Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe (Creamy & Vegan)

This roasted tomato soup starts with fresh tomatoes, onion and garlic roasted until soft, jammy and caramelized at the edges. Blended with smoked paprika and fresh basil, it turns into a silky, deeply flavorful soup with a hint of smoke. It takes 50 minutes, most of it hands-off, and it is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Quick answer: Roast tomatoes, onion and garlic at 450°F (230°C) for 30 to 40 minutes. Blend with vegetable broth and basil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in a splash of cream or coconut milk if you want it extra creamy.

I make this roasted tomato soup every fall when tomatoes are at their sweetest, and it's one of the easiest dinners in my kitchen. We love it with a crispy grilled cheese or warm garlic knots or crusty bread on the side. For a real café experience, try it in a homemade bread bowl.

At a glance

• Time: 10 minutes prep, 40 minutes cook, 50 minutes total
• Serves: 4
• Diet: Vegan, gluten-free (check your broth label), dairy-free unless you add cream
• Keeps: 4 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer

Looking for more cozy ideas? Browse 20+ Soup Recipes.

Why You'll Love This Roasted Tomato Soup

• Deep, sweet flavor. Roasting concentrates the tomatoes' natural sugars, so the soup tastes richer and less acidic than one made from boiled tomatoes.
• Simple ingredients. Tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, broth, basil and smoked paprika.
• Mostly hands-off. The oven does the work while you do something else.
• Easy to customize. Keep it dairy-free, make it creamy, add heat or add protein.
• Freezer-friendly. Double the batch and freeze half.

Why Roasting Makes Better Tomato Soup

Fresh tomatoes hold a lot of water. In a hot oven that water evaporates, the sugars caramelize, and the flavor becomes sweeter and more concentrated. Roasting the onion and garlic on the same pan adds savory depth without any stovetop sautéing, which keeps this to one pan plus a blender.

Love creamy soups? Also try: Vegan Broccoli Soup, Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup, and Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Ingredients for Roasted Tomato Soup

• Tomatoes: Ripe Roma, plum, vine or cherry tomatoes. Smaller varieties roast up sweeter. Ripeness matters more than variety. If fresh tomatoes are out of season, canned fire-roasted tomatoes work as a substitute, see the Tomato Bisque for that shortcut version.
• Onion and garlic: Roasted with the tomatoes for sweet, mellow flavor. Roast the garlic as a whole head so it stays soft instead of burning.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Helps everything caramelize and gives the blended soup a smooth, rich body.
• Smoked paprika: Adds a subtle smoky warmth. This is the ingredient that makes the soup taste like it simmered for hours.
• Red pepper flakes: A pinch for mild background heat (optional).
• Fresh basil: Blended in for a classic tomato-basil flavor.
• Vegetable broth: Keeps the soup vegan. Chicken broth works if you prefer.
• Cream, coconut milk or cashew cream (optional): For a richer, creamier soup.

How to Make Roasted Tomato Soup

1. Roast the vegetables. Halve the tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet with the quartered onion. Trim the top off the garlic head, drizzle it with a little oil, wrap it loosely in foil and add it to the pan. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Roast at 450°F (230°C) for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very soft and slightly charred at the edges.

2. Blend. Let the vegetables cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze the soft garlic out of its skins. Add everything to a blender with the basil and 1½ cups of the broth, and blend until completely smooth. For a restaurant-style texture, strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

3. Simmer. Pour the soup into a pot, add the remaining broth until it reaches the consistency you like, and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in cream or coconut milk if using. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and paprika.

4. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with basil, a drizzle of olive oil, or croutons.

Blending safely: Hot liquid expands. Fill a countertop blender no more than two-thirds full, remove the center cap of the lid and cover the opening with a folded towel, and blend in batches. An immersion blender is the easiest option: blend right in the pot.

Tips for the Best Roasted Tomato Soup

• Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. They are the main flavor. In winter, cherry or grape tomatoes are usually sweeter than large out-of-season ones.
• Roast at 450°F. Lower temperatures steam the tomatoes instead of caramelizing them.
• Don't crowd the pan. Use a large rimmed sheet, or two, so the vegetables roast instead of steaming.
• Wrap the garlic. Foil keeps it from burning and turns it soft and sweet.
• Season in layers. Salt before roasting, then taste again after blending. Tomato soup usually needs more salt than you expect.
• Blend longer than you think. One to two minutes in a high-speed blender gives the silkiest texture.
• Balance the acidity. If the soup tastes sharp, a small pinch of sugar, a splash of cream or a roasted carrot blended in will round it out.

Roasted Tomato Soup Variations

• Creamy: Stir 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, half-and-half, coconut milk or cashew cream into the finished soup.
• Creamy and dairy-free with extra protein: Blend in a drained 15-ounce can of white beans (cannellini or navy) with the vegetables. It thickens the soup and adds protein and fiber. You may need an extra splash of broth.
• Spicy: Double the red pepper flakes, or roast a jalapeño with the tomatoes.
• Indian-style tomato soup: Roast a 1-inch piece of ginger with the vegetables. Swap the smoked paprika for ½ teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder, and finish with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon. For a tadka, sizzle a teaspoon of cumin seeds in ghee or oil and pour it over each bowl. See my Tomato Shorba for a stovetop version.
• Pesto swirl: Skip the basil in the soup and swirl a spoonful of pesto into each bowl.
• More vegetables: Roast carrots, red bell peppers or beets alongside the tomatoes. Try Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup or Tomato Carrot Beetroot Soup.
• Using canned tomatoes: Roast only the onion and garlic, then blend them with one 28-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes and the broth. For a shortcut version, see the Tomato Bisque.

What to Serve with Roasted Tomato Soup

Toppings: fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil or cream, grated Parmesan, homemade croutons, pesto, or grilled cheese croutons (cube a grilled cheese sandwich and scatter it on top).

Pairings: A classic grilled cheese sandwich, Garlic Knots, a slice of Honey Oat Bread, or serve it in a Homemade Bread Bowl. For a lighter meal, add a green salad.

Storage, Freezing and Make-Ahead

• Refrigerate: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, leaving about an inch of space at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened. If you added cream, avoid boiling it.
• Make ahead: The flavor deepens overnight, so this soup is great the next day. Add fresh basil and any cream when reheating.

FAQ's

More soup recipes to try: Vegan Broccoli Soup, Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, and Hi-Protein Paneer Lauki Soup.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Jyoti Behrani

Fresh tomatoes, onion and garlic are oven-roasted until jammy, then blended with smoked paprika and basil into a silky, vegan roasted tomato soup. Ready in 50 minutes.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 88 kcal

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Blender

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2-2½ lbs ripe tomatoes (Roma, plum, or cherry)
• ▢ 1 onion, quartered
• ▢ 1 garlic bulb, trim ¼ inch top leaving the bulb intact
• ▢ ¾  teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2-2½ cups vegetable broth, divided
• ▢ 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk (optional)
• ▢ Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Place the halved tomatoes cut-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet with the quartered onion. Drizzle the trimmed garlic head with a little olive oil, wrap it loosely in foil and add it to the pan.
• Drizzle the vegetables with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
• Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very soft, jammy and slightly charred at the edges.
• Let cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of its skins.
• Blend the roasted vegetables, garlic, basil and 1½ cups of the broth until completely smooth. For a very silky texture, strain through a fine-mesh sieve. (Blending safety: fill a countertop blender no more than two-thirds full, leave the lid vent open under a folded towel, and blend in batches.)
• Pour into a pot over medium heat. Add the remaining broth and the red pepper flakes, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the cream or coconut milk, if using. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and paprika.
• Serve hot with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil or croutons.

Notes

• Tomatoes: Use the ripest you can find. Ripeness matters more than variety.
• Blending: An immersion blender is easiest. Blend 1 to 2 minutes for the smoothest texture.
• Consistency: Add broth gradually until the soup is as thick or thin as you like.
• Creamy and dairy-free: Blend in a drained can of white beans, or stir in coconut milk or cashew cream.
• Spicy: Double the red pepper flakes or roast a jalapeño with the tomatoes.
• Canned tomatoes: Roast the onion and garlic, then blend with one 28-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes.
• Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container.
• Smoked paprika: Don't skip it! It adds subtle smokiness that makes the soup taste complex without extra effort.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Tomato Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

88

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

4

g

6

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Sodium

 

13

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

581

mg

17

%

Carbohydrates

 

12

g

4

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

 

1890

IU

38

%

Vitamin C

 

33

mg

40

%

Calcium

 

30

mg

3

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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