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Roasted tomato soup with herbs is perfect for late summer when the tomato harvest is in full swing. For this recipe I used a mix of cherry and large tomatoes, basil, chives, and parsley but you can play around and use what what you have on hand. Just make sure to use good quality tomatoes as this will be a key factor in the soup’s flavor. I don’t add any milk or cream to this recipe – I just garnish it with a bit of creme fraiche. You can easily add a quarter cup (or more) of cream at the end if you prefer a creamier soup.
On Roasted Tomato Soup with Herbs
I think everyone should know how to make roasted tomato soup. It’s pretty healthy and perfect for a rainy night. It’s also super quick and easy to prepare. You don’t need to be exact with a recipe either – it’s more of a process that is easily modified. I think of it as 3 steps:
Roasting tomatoes (and other stuff):
You start the process by putting your tomatoes and whatever else you want to roast on a large roasting pan and tossing them in olive oil. I always roast garlic and sometimes shallots with tomatoes. I leave cherry tomatoes whole but cut large tomatoes into quarters or eights.
Caramelizing Onion (and other fragrant stuff):
I always include some kind of onion in my tomato soup. You can roast the onion with the tomatoes but I prefer to sautee the onion and let it caramelize. I used a yellow onion for this recipe but red onion and shallots are also good. You can experiment with adding different spices to the onion mixture too. I often include a chili pepper and chili flakes to give it some heat. For this soup I’ve added a little cumin and nigella seed. I like the depth they provide.
Blending in Herbs (and maybe creamy stuff):
Once the tomatoes are blended I like to toss in a few handfuls of fresh herbs. Basil is the main herb but I like adding chives, parsley, and oregano too. I don’t usually add cream to my soup but you certainly can. Once you’ve blended the herbs you can stir some in and heat through. I’d start with a quarter cup and go from there.
Roasted Tomato Soup with Herbs
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This soups is quick and easy to make. I typically blend in in a mix of fresh basil, chives, oregano, and parsley at the end but you can use whatever you have on hand. I also start the onion mixture with a bit of nigella and cumin seed. I think this adds a nice depth but you can omit this step if you don’t have them on hand.
Serve the soup with a simple salad and french bread or croutons.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 to 4 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks (quarters or eights)
- 4 to 5 large garlic cloves, peeled
- olive oil
- salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- ⅛th cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 small bunch basil
- Optional herbs:1 small bunch chives, 1 small bunch parsley, a few sprigs oregano
- creme fraiche or sour cream for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Put cherry tomatoes, chopped larger tomatoes, and peeled garlic cloves on baking sheet. Pour a few glugs of olive oil over and spinkle with salt. Toss to coat. I like to add a large rosemary sprig to the baking sheet as well. Roast the tomatoes int he oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbps olive oil in large soup pan. Add nigella and cumin seed and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (approx 10) minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and simmer over low heat.
- When tomatoes are ready, add them to the onion mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes and then blend with an immersion blender. Add most of the basil and chives, reserving a few bits for garnish, and blend again.
- Season to taste and garnish with cream fraiche or sour cream.
