This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
This easy Roasted Tomato Soup tastes like summer. Get the scoop about how to make homemade tomato soup that will inspire you to kick the can. Just 10 minutes of prep time is required!
Canned soup is a pantry staple for a reason; it’s affordable, can last for years unopened, and can transform into a meal in minutes after you do crack the seal. That being said, store-bought canned soups can leave something to be desired on the flavor front, and homemade tomato soup in particular is one category of soup recipe that I firmly believe is worth going to the effort to DIY.
By roasting fresh tomatoes and pairing them with canned tomatoes, you’ll double up on the summer flavor. Plus, by mastering how to make homemade tomato soup, you can amplify the fresh herb factor and adjust the salt levels to match your personal taste.
And unlike those tiny 10.75-ounce cans on supermarket shelves, my Roasted Tomato Soup recipe will leave you with 10 cups; ideal for sharing with family or adding to your weekly meal prep menu. All you need now is a grilled cheese sandwich.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh plum tomatoes: Grab roma tomatoes or your own fresh garden tomatoes. You can also toss in cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes if you have some lying around; just aim for 3 pounds total.
- Canned plum tomatoes with juice: Look for whole plum tomatoes in juice. I adore San Marzanos, but any canned whole tomato will do.
- Chicken broth: I prefer the flavor of chicken stock in tandem with the tomatoes, however vegetable broth or water work just fine (and make this a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly soup).
- Fresh basil: Yes, I know that 4 cups sounds like a lot, but it cooks down to melt into the tomato soup and infuse it with copious amounts of garden-fresh flavor. When buying or harvesting fresh basil, seek out lively, firm leaves without brownish spots or discolorations. Then to chiffonade basil, stack several basil leaves on top of each other and roll tightly. While holding the roll of leaves tightly, slice crosswise, cutting the roll into very thin strips or ribbons.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, add tomato halves, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 tablespoon salt and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper). Spread tomato mixture evenly on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Roast for 45 minutes.
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot (at least 5 ½ quarts) over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter until melted. Stir in onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and red chili flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in chicken broth, canned tomatoes and juice, basil, thyme, and roasted tomatoes with any accumulated juices on the baking sheet. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree soup in food processor (or use an immersion blender).
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil or Parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe yields 10 cups; enough for five 2-cup main dish servings or 10 1-cup appetizer or side dish servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Make ahead: Make the soup up to 3 days in advance and reheat to 165 degrees before serving.
- Freezer: Cooled soup can be packed in freezer-safe containers, labeled, dated, and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Whole30 Compatible: Substitute clarified butter for the regular or just use more olive oil.
- Creamy: Add a cup of heavy cream or half-n-half at the end and stir until heated through, or just drizzle it over the top as a garnish. Or, add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream right on top. For a dairy-free version, stir in coconut milk.
- Chilled: Just like Gazpacho, this soup is very tasty when it’s served chilled on a hot summer’s day.
- Bell pepper: Suggested a romesco (red pepper) sauce by adding red bell peppers to your sheet pan with the tomatoes and blend in your blender until you have a smooth texture.
- Bread: Serve this Roasted Tomato Soup with plenty of crusty Toasted Crostini or even a handful of buttery homemade Croutons.
- Soup and salad: Pair this summery soup with a luscious Burrata Salad with peaches, a simple Caprese Salad, a Mediterranean Chopped Salad, or an Easy Garden Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite pairings include sandwiches for dunking (Turkey BLT Croissants, Caprese Sandwiches), pasta salads to amplify the satisfaction factor (Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, BLT Pasta Salad), chunky salads to load up on even more veggies (Panzanella, Antipasto Salad), or a simple side of No-Knead Bread to scoop up ever last drop.
Just like Gazpacho, Roasted Tomato Soup is a delightful and refreshing option when it’s served chilled on a hot summer’s day.
Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half-and-half during the final minute of cook time. Stir until heated through. For a bonus creamy boost that you can swirl in with your spoon as you dive into the tomato soup, add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream on top.
More ways with tomatoes
Beef Recipes
Stuffed Tomatoes
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Caprese Chicken
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Tomato Salsa (Copycat)
Italian Recipes
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Join Us
Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 pounds plum tomatoes halved lengthwise (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste, optional
- 32 ounces chicken broth or water (see note 2)
- 28 ounces canned plum tomatoes with juice (undrained, see note 3)
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves packed, plus more for garnish (chiffonade, see note 4)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, add tomato halves, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 tablespoon salt and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper). Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot (at least 5 ½ quarts) over medium-high heat, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter until melted. Stir in onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and red chili flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in chicken broth, canned tomatoes and juice, basil, thyme, and roasted tomatoes with any accumulated juices on the baking sheet. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree soup in food processor (or use an immersion blender). Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- Fresh plum tomatoes: One of the most common varieties of plum tomatoes are Romas, which are widely-available. Those work perfectly here, as do any other style of plum tomato you can find fresh at your local market.
- Chicken broth: I prefer the flavor of chicken broth in tandem with the tomatoes, however vegetable broth or water work just fine (and make this a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly soup).
- Canned plum tomatoes with juice: Look for whole plum tomatoes in juice. I adore San Marzanos, but any canned whole tomato will do.
- Fresh basil: Yes, I know that 4 cups sounds like a lot, but it cooks down to melt into the tomato soup and infuse it with copious amounts of garden-fresh flavor. When buying or harvesting fresh basil, seek out lively, firm leaves without brownish spots or discolorations. Then to chiffonade basil, stack several basil leaves on top of each other and roll tightly. While holding the roll of leaves tightly, slice crosswise, cutting the roll into very thin strips or ribbons.
- Yield: This recipe yields 10 cups; enough for five 2-cup main dish servings or 10 1-cup appetizer or side dish servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Pretty easy and excellent!
Do you think this could be cooked in the Instant pot ?
Thanks
Hi, did you mean 4 tablespoons of packed fresh basil? or is it really 4 cups?
Hi Einav, it really is 4 cups. It sounds like a lot, but you have 3 pounds of tomatoes there (and about 2 cups of onions). So to get the basil flavor, especially from fresh basil, you need a lot. But you could certainly use less if you want! If you have any other questions just let me know. Thanks! -Meggan
There is NOTHING my whole family loves more than really good tomato soup. This sounds absolutely amazing. Last August, my family was in Chicago to see Hamilton and had lunch at Peterino’s, which was right next to our hotel. We all had a toasted cheese sandwich and tomato soup and we’ve been dreaming of that soup ever since! I found the Peterino’s recipe, which is very similar to this, but in HUGE restaurant proportions.
I will try this, I’m picking up a big box of roma’s from the farmers market on Sunday! YUM!