Roasted garlic tomato soup is full of flavor from sweet cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, herbs, and some cream to give it the creamy texture you want and crave. It is easy to make and comes together in about an hour. I love it paired with a classic grilled cheese sandwich. If you are not in the mood for a sandwich then try topping the soup with cheesy croutons instead. Don’t be afraid to make this homemade tomato soup.
Ingredients needed to make this creamy tomato soup:
Let’s start with tomatoes. The recipe calls for 3 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes. I have used both varieties and they both are equally tasty. I have not made this soup using Roma tomatoes or any other kind so I can’t tell you how it would turn out. Be sure to wash and dry the tomatoes, just before using them, and please do not store your tomatoes in the refrigerator.
Tomatoes should not be refrigerated!
Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures and can cause the cell membranes to break down leaving you with mushy and mealy tomatoes. So leave them out on the countertop until ready to use!
In addition to tomatoes, you also need one whole onion. Half will be roasted with the tomatoes, the other half will be used for the soup base. Plus, celery and two whole garlic heads- that is the whole thing, not just a clove. Other ingredients are dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, tomato paste, vegetable broth or stock, heavy whipping cream, fresh basil, and a pinch of sugar.
Here’s how to make roasted garlic tomato soup:
Start by roasting the tomatoes and garlic
To begin with, you need to roast the tomatoes, garlic, and onion. This step is important because the roasted flavor from the tomatoes and garlic is what sets this soup recipe apart from others out there. So please don’t skip this step. Start by preheating the oven and covering a baking sheet with foil. Then I take a whole head of garlic and remove some of the papery skin; leaving enough so that the cloves stay intact. Next, cut a 1/4-inch from the top of the cloves so that you can see inside the individual cloves of garlic. After that, cut the onion in half. Set half aside for later and the other half should be quartered.
Now, add the tomatoes, garlic, and onions to the sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently toss everything around so the tomatoes are evenly coated with olive oil and seasonings. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove and let the garlic cool down enough to handle.
Begin making the base of the soup
While the garlic is cooling down start to make the soup by finely dicing the onion and celery. Using a large soup pot or dutch oven turn the heat to medium-high. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and let it warm up a bit. I never like to add anything to cold oil because the food will just absorb the oil rather than cook in it.
Once the oil is warm add the celery, onion, dried herbs, salt, and black pepper. Let the vegetable soften a bit then you will add the tomato paste. The tomato paste needs at least a couple of minutes to cook. When the tomato paste comes out of the tube It will be a bright red color but you want it to be more of a brick color before moving on to the next step. Cooking tomato paste helps the recipe develop a richer depth of flavor.
Remove the roasted garlic from the cloves
While the tomato paste is cooking you need to remove the garlic from the bulb. Roasted cloves of garlic become soft and almost spreadable. They taste sweeter than the raw version and it gives the soup the best flavor. The garlic cloves will squeeze right out by pushing at the base of each clove. If they don’t come out easily cutting the tip with a knife to create an opening will help them come out.
Now it’s time to deglaze the pan by adding the vegetable stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape off the little bits of food stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add the remaining ingredients; roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions, heavy cream, fresh basil, and sugar. Give that a good stir and let it cook until it starts to simmer. You’ll know it’s simmering because little bubbles will start to form around the edge of the pot.
Once the soup is simmering, turn off the heat and grab your handheld immersion blender or stick blender. Carefully put the end into the soup and then turn it on. Make sure the bottom is fully immersed in the soup or it will splatter everywhere! Puree until smooth and creamy.
No immersion blender that’s ok!
If you do not have an immersion blender it’s ok just use a regular blender. But I will say if there was ever a kitchen tool that is worth the money it’s this one! But I digress!
So if you are using a kitchen blender you will need to puree the soup in batches. Get a large bowl and set it aside. Use a ladle to transfer the hot soup from the pot to the blender. Then remove the center part on the lid of the blender. It usually pops right out. If you have a Ninja blender like me there will not be a center hole, but a corner part that lifts up and is used to pour out the contents of the blender. Use a dish towel to cover the whole or opening slightly so the steam can still be released and you don’t have an explosion of soup on your hands!
Now blend on high until creamy and smooth. Check as you go to see when it’s creamy. Once it’s reached the desired consistency pour it out into the large bowl that you set aside earlier. Repeat until all the soup has been pureed and is creamy and smooth. At this point, you can pour the pureed soup back into the pot and reheat it if needed or serve it straight from the bowl it’s in. If you are serving a crowd consider adding it to a slow cooker. This will keep the soup warm and you won’t have to leave it simmering over low heat on the stove.
Time to eat!
This is the best tomato soup. Serve it with some crusty bread or a large garden salad. Like I said earlier, it is the perfect compliment to grilled cheese and makes your cravings for comfort food vanish immediately. You might want to add some red pepper flakes for some heat or even a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is tasty. Sometimes I like to put a dollop of pesto on top and a bit of parmesan cheese. Whatever you are in the mood for I think this is a recipe the whole family will like. With the winter months fast approaching I hope you add this recipe to your soup rotation!
Other ecipes to try!
Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup
Roasted garlic tomato soup is easy to make and uses simple ingredients like cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, and herbs. Pair it with grilled cheese for the perfect meal!
Ingredients
For Roasted tomatoes, garlic, & onion
- 3 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 whole bulbs of garlic, tops cut off, skin still on
- 1/2 onion, cut into quarters (its ok if it falls apart)
- 1-2 tbsps Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
For Soup
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
- Olive oil
- Special equipment: Immersion blender or regular blender
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper
1. Add tomatoes, onion, and garlic to the sheet pan
2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 1 tsp dried basil. Using your hands, toss to evenly coat.
3. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 min then remove and let cool enough to be able to squeeze out the garlic from the bulb.
4. While the garlic is cooling, warm a large pot over medium heat. Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and let it warm up.
5. Add celery, onion, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt, and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
6. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring to combine with veggies.
7. Add vegetable stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the stuck-on bits at the bottom of the pot.
8. Add roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, cream, fresh basil, and sugar. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until it simmers. Turn off the heat.
9. Carefully blend with an immersion blender until creamy and smooth.
Notes
- If you do not have an immersion blender, use a regular blender instead. Blend in batches and be sure to remove the center cap in the lid of the blender so the hot steam can escape. Cover the hole with a dish towel while blending. Otherwise, you’ll have a huge mess on your hands!
- Before roasting the garlic- if the garlic has extra layers of papery white skin, peel them away, but leave enough layers so the head of garlic stays together. Cut a 1/4-inch from the top of the cloves so that you can see inside the individual cloves of garlic.
