Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (Printable Version)

Rich and velvety soup made with caramelized roasted tomatoes, finished with cream and crunchy croutons.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Soup

01 - 1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large onion, quartered
03 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 2 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 0.5 cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

→ For the Homemade Croutons

13 - 2 cups day-old bread, cut into 0.5-inch cubes
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
16 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
17 - 0.25 teaspoon dried oregano

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F
02 - Arrange tomatoes cut side up, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika
03 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tomatoes are caramelized and tender
04 - Toss bread cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and oregano. Spread on separate baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside
05 - Transfer roasted vegetables to large pot. Add vegetable broth and tomato paste. Bring to gentle simmer for 5 minutes
06 - Add basil leaves and blend using immersion blender until smooth, or carefully transfer to countertop blender in batches
07 - Return soup to pot. Stir in heavy cream and sugar if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Heat gently without boiling
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl with extra cream, sprinkle with croutons, and garnish with fresh basil

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasting step sounds fancy but it's just you and a baking sheet, and it transforms ordinary tomatoes into something restaurant-worthy.
  • Homemade croutons are genuinely easier than you think and they taste so much better than the store kind that you'll wonder why you waited this long.
  • This soup freezes beautifully, so one batch becomes three future meals when you need comfort food but not the effort.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can just simmer fresh tomatoes, because that's a different soup entirely and this one needs that caramelization to taste complete.
  • If your soup tastes too acidic at the end, a pinch of sugar or even a small piece of butter whisked in changes everything without making it taste sweet.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper on your baking sheet during roasting because cleanup matters and caramelized tomato is stubborn.
  • If you make this ahead, keep the croutons separate until serving because they get soggy if they sit in the soup.
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