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This Roasted Tomato Soup is made from scratch with fresh tomatoes, red onion, garlic and oregano, roasted for an hour until sweet and sticky, then simmered with stock and fresh basil and blended smooth. It has 7 ingredients and serves 3. It started life as a twist on my Easy Red Pepper and Tomato Soup.
Roasted Tomato Soup at a Glance
James's tipRoast the tomatoes cut side up and leave the garlic in its skin, so it turns soft and sweet instead of burning. Squeeze it out of the skin before you blend.
Key ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Fresh basil
Why you'll love it
- About 211 kcal and 5g fibre a portion
- 5 minutes hands on, the oven does the rest
- Deep, sweet roasted flavour from 7 ingredients
Quick summary
This soup roasts halved tomatoes, red onion and whole garlic cloves with olive oil and oregano at 160°C fan (180°C conventional, gas 4) for an hour, then simmers them with vegetable stock and fresh basil for 10 minutes and blends them smooth. It serves 3 and is about 211 kcal a portion.
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Why this recipe works
Tomato and basil are a classic pairing. Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their sweetness and gives the soup a deep, slightly caramelised flavour you cannot get from a tin, which makes it so comforting on a cold autumn day.
There is a lot of flavour here for so few ingredients, and you probably have most of them in already. It is creamy without any cream: the roasted onion and the blending do the work.
It freezes well, so make a double batch and keep some for quick lunches during the week. For more autumn soups, try my Carrot and Parsnip Soup or my Butternut Squash Soup.
Ingredients to make Roasted Tomato Soup
- Large Tomatoes: The base of the soup. Vine, plum or cherry tomatoes all work; the riper they are, the sweeter the soup. If you have a glut of cherry tomatoes, my Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce is another good use for them.
- Red Onion: Turns sweet and soft when roasted.
- Garlic Cloves: Roasted whole in their skins, so they turn soft and mellow instead of burning.
- Oregano: Dried oregano goes on the tomatoes before they roast.
- Fresh Basil: Two handfuls, added after roasting. The stalks are full of flavour too, so add them as well.
- Olive Oil: For roasting the vegetables and garlic.
- Vegetable Stock: 500ml. Stock brings most of the salt, so use a low salt stock if you are watching your salt.
- Salt and Pepper: A couple of pinches on the tomatoes before they roast.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Garlic Cloves: Minced garlic from a jar works, but stir it in with the stock instead of roasting it, as it burns. It will not taste quite as sweet as roasted garlic.
- Vegetable Stock: Chicken stock works if you are not keeping it plant based.
- Fresh Basil: If you cannot get fresh basil, use about 1 tsp dried basil and add it with the oregano before roasting.
- Olive Oil: Other oils work. You can also use 1 tbsp instead of 3, or a spray, for a lighter soup (about 131 kcal a portion).
- Fresh tomatoes: If you have no fresh tomatoes, try my 10 Minute Creamy Tomato Soup, which uses passata and is ready in 10 minutes.
Variations
- Spicy: Add a pinch of chilli flakes to the tray before roasting, or a little sriracha at the end.
- Deluxe: Swirl in a spoonful of plant based cream, single cream or yoghurt, add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the tray before roasting for extra depth, and top with fresh basil. For croutons, cube some gluten free bread, toss in a little oil and put them on the tray for the last 10 minutes of roasting.
- Kid friendly: Blend it very smooth and serve with something to dip, such as a cheese toastie or strips of my Gluten Free Flatbread.
- Thicker: Blend in a small boiled potato with the tomatoes for a thicker, more filling soup.
How to make Roasted Tomato Soup
Step 1: Heat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional, gas 4). Slice the tomatoes in half and the onion into quarters.
Step 2: Put them on a baking tray, tomatoes cut side up, with the garlic cloves still in their skins. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over the dried oregano and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, until the tomatoes are soft and starting to brown at the edges.
Hint: The oven is on for an hour, so roast a tray of my Roasted Root Vegetables on the shelf below for another meal.
Step 3: Squeeze the garlic out of its skins, then scrape everything from the tray into a large pan. Add the stock and the fresh basil, stalks and all. Bring to the boil on the hob, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Blend with a hand blender until smooth, or carefully transfer to a blender. Taste and season, then add a splash of water if it is too thick.
Hint: Do not skip squeezing the garlic out of its skins. Roasted garlic is soft and sweet, and it gives the soup a lot of its flavour.
Leftovers
Cool the soup quickly, then keep it covered in the fridge and eat it within 2 days, hot or chilled. It freezes well for up to 3 months; small pots make easy single portions. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in a pan, stirring, until steaming hot all the way through. Reheat it only once. If you are filling the freezer, my Spinach Soup freezes well too.
Recipe FAQs
Roast the fresh tomatoes with onion and garlic first, then simmer them with stock and basil and blend. Roasting brings out their sweetness, which is what makes fresh tomato soup taste rich.
Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool it quickly and freeze it in airtight containers, whole or in single portions. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat until steaming hot. Reheat it only once.
You can make tomato soup without roasting, but roasting drives off water and caramelises the tomatoes, so the flavour is much deeper and sweeter.
Cherry and vine tomatoes work well and roast a little quicker, so check them after 45 minutes. Green tomatoes work too but are sharper; mix them with red tomatoes, or add a pinch of sugar.
Simmer it uncovered for a few more minutes, use less stock, or blend in a small boiled potato. For extra creaminess, stir in a spoonful of plant based cream or yoghurt.
A slice of toasted Gluten Free Seeded Bread is good for dipping, and croutons or toasted pumpkin seeds add crunch. For a more filling soup, try my Carrot and Lentil Soup.
What to serve with Roasted Tomato Soup
- Socca: My Easy Socca Recipe is a crisp chickpea flatbread, good for dipping.
- Salad: A peppery Rocket Salad on the side makes it a fuller lunch.
- Croutons: Roast them on the tray for the last 10 minutes (see Variations).
- Cheese toastie: The classic partner for tomato soup.
- Pumpkin seeds: Toast a handful in a dry pan and scatter over the top.
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Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 kg large tomatoes, (vine or cherry tomatoes work well too)
- 1 red onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 handfuls fresh basil
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml vegetable stock/broth
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional, gas 4). Slice the tomatoes into halves and the onion into quarters.
- Place onto an oven baking tray (tomatoes cut side facing up), along with the 4 garlic cloves still in their skins (this stops them burning). Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle the dried oregano on top along with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, until the tomatoes are soft and starting to brown at the edges.
- Squeeze the garlic out of its skins, then scrape everything from the tray into a large pot. Add the 500ml of stock along with the fresh basil leaves (stalks are also fine). Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend with a hand blender until smooth (or carefully transfer to a blender). Taste, season and loosen with a splash of water if needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Love this James! Utterly delicious and minimal prep, thanks for sharing
Thanks so much Jan 🙂