Roasted Tomato Soup
This soup relies entirely on the quality of your tomatoes. When they hit the heat of the oven, their moisture evaporates and their natural sugars intensify, transforming from raw produce into a base that carries its own weight without cream.
Don't crowd the baking sheet
If the tomatoes are piled on top of each other, they will steam instead of roast. Use two pans if necessary to ensure every piece has space to brown.
- large rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper
- immersion blender or standard blender
- heavy-bottomed soup pot
What goes in.
- 3 lbripe plum or vine tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 largeyellow onion, cut into thick wedges
- 6 clovesgarlic, peeled and left whole
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 2 cupsvegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
The Caramelization Threshold
Roast until the edges of the tomato skins darken and the onions show charred, blackened tips. This bitterness balances the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
The method.
Prep the oven
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to catch the juices.
Arrange the vegetables
Place the tomatoes cut-side up on the sheet. Tuck the onion wedges and garlic cloves into the gaps. Drizzle everything generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast
Slide the pan into the oven for 45 to 50 minutes. You are looking for the garlic to be soft enough to smear and the tomatoes to look shriveled and deepened in color.
Transfer
Scrape everything—including the browned bits and accumulated juices on the parchment—into a soup pot.
Simmer and blend
Pour in the stock. Bring to a low simmer for 10 minutes to marry the flavors. Use an immersion blender to process until smooth. If using a standard blender, work in small batches and vent the lid.
Other turns to take.
Herb-Infused
Toss two sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary onto the sheet with the tomatoes before roasting.
Spicy Roasted
Add one deseeded red chili pepper to the roasting pan to provide a subtle, lingering heat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the soup tastes too acidic, add a half-teaspoon of sugar or a small splash of balsamic vinegar to round it out.
For a silky texture, pass the finished soup through a fine-mesh sieve, though the rustic texture is intentional.
Store in a glass container for up to three days; it thickens significantly as it cools in the refrigerator.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use canned tomatoes instead?
The technique relies on oven-drying fresh tomatoes to concentrate flavor. Canned tomatoes already have high water content and will not provide the same depth of character.
Does the peel need to be removed?
No. When you roast the tomatoes thoroughly, the skins soften enough that a high-powered blender will break them down completely.