Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup for Two

This roasted tomato soup recipe makes two large servings of soup, and is the perfect way to make great use of those remaining summer tomatoes.  This takes the incredible, simple flavor of roasted tomatoes, and transforms it into a creamy, comforting tomato soup for two.

The key is to roast the tomatoes until they are softened and slightly shriveled on top.  This way, we get the best of both worlds: a touch of juicy, ripe tomatoes mixed with the savory, complex flavor of roasted tomatoes.  The juiciness of the tomatoes is key to making this soup, so we don’t want them to roast until they’re totally shriveled.

Ingredients for Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup for Two

• 12 oz. Roma Tomatoes 
• Salt & freshly cracked Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion white or yellow
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth or vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp. Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Basil
• 1/4 tsp. Greek Seasoning (I used Cavender’s, but there’s some good homemade recipes like here & here!)
• 1/4 cup Half & Half or heavy cream

How to Roast Tomatoes for Soup

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the tough cores from inside the tomatoes. Lay the tomatoes, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes, then sprinkle them with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Roast at 375 F for 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and set them aside until cool enough to handle.

For tomato soup, we want to remove the skins of the tomatoes before adding them into the soup. The skins of the tomato won’t easily break down in the soup, which results in little strips of it floating around in the soup. The same concept applies to the cores of the tomatoes, which is why we remove them first. The cores are tough and not easy to digest, and their texture isn’t consistent with the smooth creaminess of the soup. Removing both the cores of the tomatoes and the skins of the tomatoes ensures a luscious, creamy texture of the tomato soup.

How to Make Tomato Soup for Two

1. First, roast the tomatoes (see the directions above). This takes about thirty minutes total, then the tomatoes need to cool until they’re easy to handle.
2. While the tomatoes are cooling, warm one tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook until lightly charred and very soft, about 12-15 minutes. Stir in the minced onion and cook for one minute.
3. Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off of them.
4. Add the peeled tomatoes, chicken (or vegetable) broth, brown sugar, basil, and Greek seasoning to the saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
5. Turn the heat back down to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
6. Use an immersion blender or regular blender* to blend the soup until smooth. Turn off the heat from under the pan, and stir in the half and half**. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*If using a regular blender (a stand-up blender), only blend half of the soup at a time and be sure to leave a small vent in the top of the blender to allow steam to escape from the soup.

**Heavy cream or coconut milk will also work as substitutions for half and half.

Another important key in this recipe is to season the soup from the beginning.  We do this by seasoning the tomatoes with salt and pepper before roasting them, and by seasoning the onions with salt before cooking them.  This helps develop a depth of flavor, and prevents over-salting the soup at the end.

Tips for making the Best Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes:

1. Use bright, ripe tomatoes.  The entire focus of this soup is the tomato flavor, so use the best ones! Look for tomatoes that are rich in color, and slightly soft.
2. Season the tomatoes well.  Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and freshly cracked pepper before roasting them, and don’t be shy.  Salt brings out the flavor of the tomato, so just a little more in this step will reward you in the end.
3. Use low sodium (or reduced sodium) chicken stock.   Stocks and broth can have a lot of sodium.  Too much sodium can throw off the balance of flavor in this soup, so use low sodium (or reduced sodium) stock to better control the flavor.
4. Don’t be afraid to season it at the end, too. If you’re afraid over over-seasoning this soup, don’t be.  Just be sure to taste, season a little, and then taste again.  I’m not suggesting that you overload your soup with salt, but the salt helps to coax out the tomato flavor.  Because this soup is pretty simple, you really want that roasted tomato flavor to shine through.  And salt (I HIGHLY recommend using Diamond kosher salt!  You can use more of it, because it’s half as “salt-y” as regular salt.  It’s perfect for so many recipes!

Recipes to try with this Creamy Tomato Soup:

• Caramelized Onion & Havarti Grilled Cheese
• The Best & Unique Caesar Salad
• Easy Shredded Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps
• Turkey Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork French Dip Sliders
• Vermont Cheddar & Chive Drop Biscuits (SO good with soup!)
• or top them with these Toasted Croissant Croutons!

Wine Pairings for Tomato Soup

This tomato soup is really delicious with a glass of Sangiovese or Carménère!

Sangiovese is a classic Italian grape that is excellent with most tomato-based pastas and foods from Italy.  It’s also super affordable, and is a great option to keep around the house for pizza night, pasta night, or tomato soup night!

Carménère is a grape that is found all over the place.  It was originally a Bordeaux grape, but Chile has recently been a huge contender in producing it!  If you’ve never tried it, you absolutely need to.  There’s tons of red fruit notes, but the best part?  Bell pepper notes!  It sounds weird, but it’s so delicious.  It’s a fun and unique pairing to this tomato soup, and for many other foods!

If you make this soup, please tag me on Instagram so I can see your awesome creation!  And as always, feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions.  If you comment and rate this recipe below, I would also very much appreciate it!  I hope you enjoy!

xx Sara