Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe: Creamy, Velvety and Easy

Roasted tomato soup is the soup tomatoes were made for: ripe tomatoes roasted until sweet and caramelised at the edges, blended with soft garlic, onion and basil, then finished with a swirl of cream until it turns silky and velvety. It tastes like summer in a bowl — sweet, savoury and deeply comforting — and it comes together in under an hour with mostly hands-off oven time.

Roasting is the whole secret. Raw tomatoes can taste sharp and watery in soup, but a hot oven concentrates their flavour, softens their acidity and adds a gentle smokiness that no amount of simmering can fake. Blend it smooth, adjust the cream and seasoning to your taste, and serve it with crusty bread for dunking.

Velvety, sweet and deeply comforting — the soup tomatoes were made for.

Recipe Info

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 55 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Calories: ~280 kcal per serving

Ripe tomatoes and good olive oil — soup starts here.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg / about 2 1/2 lb ripe tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
• 1 medium onion (about 150 g / 5 oz), cut into wedges
• 1 whole head of garlic, top sliced off
• 60 ml / 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar (optional, only if your tomatoes are tart)
• 500 ml / 2 cups vegetable stock
• 120 ml / 1/2 cup heavy cream (or double cream)
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves (about 20 g / 3/4 oz), plus extra for serving
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (optional)
• Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. A hot oven is essential — it caramelises the tomatoes instead of steaming them.
2. Roast the vegetables: Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up on the sheet with the onion wedges, drizzle with 45 ml / 3 tbsp of the olive oil, and season with the salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic head loosely in foil with a drizzle of oil and place it on the sheet. Roast for 30–35 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft, slumped and browned at the edges.
3. Soften the base: While the vegetables roast, warm the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. If you like a smoother, deeper base, you can skip this step — the roasted onion already brings plenty of sweetness — but a quick 2-minute warm-up of the pot readies it for blending.
4. Squeeze and combine: Remove the tray from the oven. Squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their skins into the pot, then tip in the roasted tomatoes, onions and all their roasting juices. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the dried oregano, if using.
5. Simmer briefly: Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the flavours meld. Taste and add the sugar only if the tomatoes still taste sharp.
6. Blend until velvety: Take the pot off the heat, add the basil leaves, and blend with an immersion blender (or in batches in a standing blender, venting the lid) until completely smooth and velvety. For an extra-silky finish, pass the soup through a fine sieve back into the pot.
7. Finish with cream and serve: Stir in the cream over low heat until just warmed through — do not boil once the cream is in, or it may split. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then ladle into warm bowls, swirl with extra cream, scatter with basil, and serve with crusty bread.

Silky, rich and spoon-coating — every bowl tastes like summer.

Tips & Variations

• Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. This soup is only as good as its tomatoes — soft, fragrant, fully ripe ones roast sweet, while pale underripe ones stay sharp no matter how long they cook.
• Don't crowd the tray. Spread the tomatoes in a single layer with space between them; crowded tomatoes steam and never caramelise. Use two trays if you need to.
• Roast the garlic whole. Roasting the full head turns the garlic sweet and mellow, so it melts into the soup instead of biting. Squeeze it straight from the skins into the pot.
• Make it dairy-free. Skip the cream and blend in 120 ml / 1/2 cup of coconut cream, or a handful of soaked cashews blended smooth, for a rich vegan version.
• Add a spicy kick. Roast a red chilli alongside the tomatoes, or stir in 1/4 tsp chilli flakes at the simmering stage, for a gentle warmth that suits the sweetness.
• Serve it grilled-cheese style. This soup's classic partner is a golden grilled cheese sandwich for dunking — use sturdy bread and a good melting cheese like cheddar or mozzarella.
• Freeze it before the cream. The soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months if you stop before adding cream; stir the cream in fresh when you reheat it for the silkiest texture.

Nutrition Note

Per serving, this soup provides roughly 280 kcal, 5 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates and 20 g fat, most of it heart-healthy monounsaturated fat from the olive oil. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium and lycopene — an antioxidant that becomes more available to the body when tomatoes are cooked — while basil adds fragrance and a small boost of vitamin K. Served with whole-grain bread and a side salad, it makes a balanced, satisfying light dinner; for a heartier meal, pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich or a scoop of white beans stirred through.

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FAQ

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?

Yes — use two 400 g / 14 oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes, drained, and roast them the same way for about 20 minutes. Fresh ripe tomatoes give the sweetest result, but good canned tomatoes work well out of season.

Do I need to peel the tomatoes?

No. The skins soften in the oven and blend away, and sieving the finished soup removes any remaining bits. If you want an ultra-smooth texture, pass it through a fine sieve after blending.

How do I make this soup vegan?

Swap the heavy cream for coconut cream or blended soaked cashews, and check that your vegetable stock is vegan. The rest of the recipe is already plant-based.

How long does roasted tomato soup keep?

Up to 4 days in the fridge in a sealed container, or up to 3 months in the freezer (freeze before adding cream, then stir cream in when reheating). Reheat gently and never boil it hard after the cream goes in.

What should I serve with tomato soup?

Crusty bread is the classic, but a grilled cheese sandwich, garlic focaccia, or a simple green salad all pair beautifully. A swirl of cream and fresh basil on top finishes every bowl.

Make a pot of this creamy roasted tomato soup once and it will earn a permanent place in your weeknight rotation. If you try it, tell us in the comments whether you kept it classic or gave it a spicy twist.