Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe Highlights

This roasted tomato soup is…

• RICHLY FLAVORED. The secret to the BEST homemade tomato soup lies in slowly roasting the tomatoes, which coaxes out their natural sweetness & concentrates their beautiful flavor.
• TOTALLY HANDS-OFF! This particular recipe was created with ease in mind – the oven & a blender do all of the work, resulting in a dreamy, creamy tomato soup that couldn’t be easier to throw together.
• A COLD WEATHER STAPLE. I’ve been making this recipe for the last 10+ years, & once you see how easy & delicious it is, you’ll make it all fall & winter long – guaranteed!

Literally nothing not to love about it! ♡ Read on to learn more about this Roasted Tomato Soup recipe, or jump straight to the recipe & get cookin’!

Note: full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.

Here’s what you’ll need…

• Tomatoes – For maximum flavor, this roasted tomato soup is made with both fresh tomatoes & canned tomatoes. Fresh Roma tomatoes give the soup beautiful sweetness & perfectly creamy texture, while canned fire-roasted tomatoes provide bold flavor.
• Aromatics – The tomatoes roast with loads of garlic & shallots, which have a slightly sweeter & more delicate flavor than onion, plus some Italian seasoning, dried basil, & a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if you like a little kick.
• Extra virgin olive oil for its richness & just a splash of aged balsamic vinegar to add a touch of sweetness without adding sugar.
• Dry vermouth – It may come as a surprise – dry vermouth is not just for martinis! – but it’s the secret ingredient that offers a solution to the age-old question, “What can I add to tomato soup to make it taste better?” More on vermouth below!

Ingredient Spotlight ⇢ Dry Vermouth

While the first thing that comes to mind when you think of it is likely a sophisticated gin martini, dry vermouth is a fantastic staple ingredient to keep stocked in your kitchen for cooking.

Originating in France, dry vermouth is a fortified wine infused with herbs & botanicals. You can use it whenever a recipe calls for white wine, & since dry vermouth is more boldly flavored than the average cooking wine, it adds an extra punch of aromatic goodness to whatever you’re cooking. As a bonus, it has a much longer shelf life than wine – once it’s opened, it’ll keep for up to 3 months in the fridge.

Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.

How to Roast Tomatoes for Soup (It Could Not Be Easier!):

1. Season the tomatoes: Toss halved Roma tomatoes with sliced shallot, finely chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, dried basil, & a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil, then arrange them cut side facing up in a large baking dish. Why? ⇢ Arranging the tomatoes cut side up helps prevent the tomatoes from drying out as they roast. The resulting roasted tomatoes are sweet, with concentrated flavor, & perfectly softened for easy blending.
2. Roast the tomatoes: Place the baking dish in the oven, roasting until softened & fragrant. Tomato Soup FAQ: How long to roast tomatoes for soup? ⇢ For this roasted tomato soup recipe, I opt for higher heat roasting to facilitate a relatively quicker roasting time, about 45 minutes.
3. Deglaze the baking dish: Once the tomatoes are softened & fragrant, transfer them to a blender. While the baking dish is still hot, deglaze it with vermouth. Slowly pour in the vermouth, using a spoon to scrape up any browned bits off of the bottom. Why? ⇢ The vermouth creates steam as it hits the pan, releasing the browned bits (i.e. fond) that developed on the bottom. This is where the flavor is, so you want to scrape it up to incorporate it into your oven-roasted tomato soup!

Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.

Blending Tomato Soup

Transfer the roasted tomatoes & vermouth to a blender with the rest of the tomato soup ingredients – canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, & balsamic vinegar. If desired, you can also add in heavy cream & fresh basil for a creamy roasted tomato basil soup. From there, simply blend until the mixture is smooth & creamy, which takes about 30 seconds in a high-speed blender.

Blending tip! ⇢ We’re blending hot ingredients here, so proceed with caution! To avoid the blender jar lid popping off as it blends, be sure to remove its cap, & securely hold a thick kitchen towel against the lid as you blend the soup.

Serving Suggestions:

Because the soup is so flavorful from the roasted tomatoes, you can keep serving as simple as you’d like. I like finishing it off with some cracked black pepper & basil leaves for extra freshness. For a really pretty presentation, add some heavy cream or extra virgin olive oil to a spoon & lightly drizzle it over the top of your soup bowls.

Feel free to serve alongside a small side salad or (of course!) a grilled cheese sandwich, but since your oven will already be hot from roasting the tomatoes, a simple crostini is a flavorful add-on.

Easy Add-On – Fresh Mozzarella Crostini! ⇢ Lightly brush sourdough (or any other hearty bread you love) with olive oil. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes per side, adding a little fresh mozzarella in the last 5 minutes. The bread becomes perfectly golden brown & the cheese melts beautifully – the perfect dunker for roasted tomato basil soup!

Other Recipe Tips & Tricks:

• Dairy-Free & Vegan Options: For a dairy-free & vegan roasted tomato soup, simply omit the heavy cream when you blend the soup together. If you’d like to amp up the creaminess, unsweetened almond milk is a great substitute. You can also use a little bit of coconut cream, but do so sparingly so the coconut flavor doesn’t overpower the tomatoes.
• Storage & Reheating: Roasted tomato soup is incredibly make-ahead friendly – it stores so well & it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits & its flavors meld together! Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days – I absolutely love my Zwilling Fresh & Save vacuum seal storage containers! Simply reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
• Freezer instructions: This easy roasted tomato soup is also incredibly freezer-friendly, so feel free to make a double batch or freeze any leftovers for an easy meal down the road. Freeze in a freezer container for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply refrigerate overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw.