Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

My creamy roasted tomato soup is a recipe I’ve been making for years. I combine roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of cream to create a rich, satisfying soup that brings together the best of classic tomato soup methods. This easy recipe is perfect for making ahead, so I can enjoy a warm, comforting bowl all week long.

I’ve been making this simple, creamy roasted tomato soup for years. I used to make tomato soup using one of the classic methods with either fresh tomatoes and basil, or with roasted tomatoes and heavy cream. But, after I decided to combine the two, this (if I might say so!) perfect tomato soup was created. Tomatoes, onions, and garlic gain all that lovely flavor from being roasted before they go into the soup, and plenty of fresh basil is added at the end with the heavy cream. And it needs to be heavy cream here; adding melted cheese for that creaminess factor, as I do in my creamy poblano soup, just won’t quite cut it. This version is rich, satisfying, and the best of both approaches. It is also really easy to make ahead of time so that I can enjoy it throughout the week! Folks, this creamy roasted tomato soup recipe is way overdue, yet still so worth the wait.

Cori – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Had a ton of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and onions. This was perfect! Even though it is summer, all of these tomatoes were making me crave tomato soup. Great recipe!

Key Ingredients and Tips

• Tomatoes – Plum or Roma tomatoes make a really lovely soup, but if you grow your own tomatoes, any larger tomato will work well. This is a great recipe for making the most of an end-of-season glut! I’ve said larger tomatoes, as you do mostly want to use larger ones, but you can add a few smaller ones, just not cherry tomatoes. There won’t be enough liquid!
• Onion – I’ve chosen a sweet onion here, both to complement the sweetness of the tomatoes and because the extra sugars in the onion will help produce better flavors once it is roasted. You could use a white or red onion if that is what you have to hand, but I like the taste of sweet onion best.
• Garlic – I find it easiest to keep the head of garlic intact when I’m roasting, just slicing the very top of the bulb off, so I can add olive oil and seasonings. Once the garlic is cool enough to touch, the sweet roasted cloves should just slip out of their skins.
• Olive oil – A light olive oil is my go-to oil for most cooking, but any neutral-tasting oil that has a high smoking point, like avocado oil, can be used instead.
• Vegetable broth – I prefer to buy low-sodium broth when I can, as it is easier to control the level of salt in a recipe if I am adding it myself.
• Seasonings and Herbs – Dried bay leaf, fresh rosemary, paprika, and basil are all key here for building both fresh and light flavors and deep, smoky flavors.
• Sugar – This is totally optional, and will depend on the tomatoes you are using. Ripe summer tomatoes are already quite sweet, and once I’ve roasted them to concentrate the sugars, I usually don’t need to add any sugar to keep the soup from tasting too acidic. But it is there if you want to add it!

Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.

How to Make

Roast the Vegetables – First, I preheat the oven to 425°F and set out a large rimmed baking sheet. Next, I chop the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. I place the tomatoes and onions skin-side-down, and the head of garlic on the baking sheet. I drizzle it generously with olive oil, before I season them with salt and pepper. Then I roast in the oven until the tomatoes are very soft and the onions are crispy around the edges.

Blend the Roasted Vegetables – Once they are just cool enough to touch, I carefully remove the papery charred onion and garlic skins, and transfer everything to a blender. I also add the juices from the baking sheet, if there are any.

I then blend/puree them until smooth. Caution: Because placing hot items in the blender can pop the top off due to extra pressure, I always make sure to place a dish towel over the blender lid to be safe! Instead, I sometimes use an immersion blender later on, straight in the pot when I fancy a slightly chunkier soup consistency.

Simmer the Soup – To a large pot set on medium heat on the stovetop, I then add the just-blended tomato puree, vegetable broth, bay leaf, rosemary, and smoked paprika. I then raise the heat to high until the mixture is simmering, then reduce the heat back to medium. Raising the heat to bring the soup to temperature like this, before simmering, helps the pot of soup cook more evenly. I then leave it to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the Herbs – At this stage, I then use tongs to remove the rosemary and bay leaf.

Add the Heavy Cream – Lastly, I stir in the heavy cream and chopped fresh basil leaves. I then give it a taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. If the soup tastes too acidic, I also stir in a spoonful of sugar.

Recipe Variations

• You can make this soup spicy by switching the smoked paprika (or sweet paprika) for hot smoked paprika.
• Add little pasta shapes like pastina to the soup for added texture and a heartier meal! You can also do this with white beans, which will add protein to the soup.
• I make a vegan version of this soup by replacing the heavy cream with vegan cashew cream, with little change to the original flavor.
• If I want to make this tomato soup paleo-friendly, I simply swap the heavy cream for canned unsweetened coconut milk.
• Again, you can make this recipe in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, if you prefer. For the crockpot, make the recipe as directed, but do not add the cream. Start by adding the pureed roasted veggies and base to the crock, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes on HIGH or 1 hour on LOW. Stir in the cream shortly before stirring, letting it simmer for just a minute or two. Same thing with the Instant Pot, you can roast and puree the veggies, then add to the IP and cook on manual for 5 minutes. Then stir in the cream and simmer for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Obviously, you can serve this with a melty grilled cheese sandwich, baked reuben sandwich, or New Orleans muffaletta sandwich.

For a light dinner, I also like to pair this with either Lt. Dan’s steakhouse salad or my easy homemade caesar dressing over fresh romaine.

Storage Notes

Leftovers of this soup always taste amazing, as the flavors keep on developing in the fridge. I store them in an airtight containers in for up to 4 days.

I then reheat in a microwave-safe bowl in short bursts at 50% power, stirring between each burst.

Frequently Asked Questions

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