This roasted tomato and red pepper soup features fresh summer ingredients that are roasted and then pureed together in a blender. This soup requires just 10 minutes of active time to make and it's the perfect way to use summer produce!
If you love classic tomato soup, you'll be amazed at how much better tomato soup is with roasted tomatoes and red peppers. Roasting tomatoes concentrates their flavor by decreasing their acidity and highlighting their natural sweetness.
I've said it once and I'll say it a thousand times again: there are only a few reasons to turn the oven on in the summer. Vegan zucchini bread, sheet pan meals, and making roasted vegetables for recipes like roasted tomato soup, for example.
This recipe is pretty similar to my cherry tomato pasta sauce, but in soup form. It is the perfect way to use up tomatoes from the garden or farmer's market in the summer.
It has a touch of sweetness from the peppers and it's super creamy because it's blended. I love eating it with brie grilled cheese (classic!) and a small side kale chickpea salad.
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Recipe features
- Concentrated flavor: Roasted tomatoes and peppers have more flavor than raw or even sauteed veggies. Roasting them evaporates a lot of the liquid and concentrates their flavor, which also keeps the soup from being watery
- Made in a blender: This tomato soup is made in a blender. Blending the soup makes it ultra smooth and almost fluffy without any dairy.
- Simple ingredients: You only need 10 minutes of active time and less than 10 ingredients to make this soup!
Ingredients
- Tomatoes on the vine: These are my go-to tomatoes for tomato soup because they have a sweet, concentrated flavor. Any kind of beefsteak tomato or slicing tomato also works.
- Red peppers: You need two large red peppers. I haven't tested this recipe with orange or yellow peppers but imagine it would be slightly less sweet. While some recipes call for a jar of roasted red peppers, I prefer using fresh red peppers because I find that they have a fresher flavor.
- Yellow onion: I like to use a sweet yellow or Vidalia onion.
- Basil: A handful of fresh basil (stems removed) is best here. If fresh basil isn't available, start with ½ teaspoon dry basil and adjust as needed.
- Garlic: I use 4 to 5 cloves of garlic but I definitely recommend adjusting to taste. Garlic powder is not a good option for this soup, stick with the real deal or add garlic powder in addition to fresh garlic, if you enjoy garlicky soup.
- Vegetable bouillon is one of my favorite ingredients for plant-based cooking. It is a more flavorful and more budget-friendly alternative to vegetable broth. You can use leftover bouillon to add flavor to things like vegetable rice soup and Instant Pot chickpeas.
Roast the tomatoes and peppers
Start by quartering and coring the tomatoes. Removing the core is an important step because it will affect the soup texture if left in. The tomato slices do not need to be uniform in size. Cut the bell pepper into 4-5 pieces.
Layer a large sheet pan with parchment paper (optional, makes clean-up much easier). Layer the tomatoes, sliced onions, red pepper slices, and garlic in an even layer.
Toss with olive oil and salt. Note that you can use any neutral oil to roast the tomatoes and peppers, such as canola or avocado oil.
Transfer the sheet pan to the oven to roast on the middle rack at 425F for 30-35 minutes.
The goal is for the tomatoes and peppers to have a slight char but not be totally blackened or burned. The tomatoes will look significantly reduced and there should only be a small amount of tomato juice on the pan.
Blend and heat
Note: Any kind of blender works for this recipe. I usually a Kitchenaid blend or immersion blender to blend soups, but a bullet-style blend also works well.
Transfer everything to a blender. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon, ¼ teaspoon of sugar, 1 cup of water, and a handful of fresh basil. An equal amount of vegetable broth will work in place of the bouillon and water.
Blend until completely smooth and pureed. This will take 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed. Taste for salt and sugar.
If the soup needs to be heated up after blending, transfer the soup to a stock pot and place it over medium-low heat. Simmer until hot.
Tips for the best roasted tomato soup
- Roast the vegetables until they are almost charred. The skins should be bubbling and blackening in places. This will give the soup a smoky, deep flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes also work well in this soup. I tested this soup with half cherry tomatoes and half slicing tomatoes and the results are pretty similar. The soup is slightly less smooth because cherry tomatoes have more skins than larger tomatoes.
- For a more rustic texture, use an immersion blender instead of a blender.
- For a garlicky tomato soup, roast an entire bulb of garlic instead of just 4-5 cloves. Bulbs of garlic take at least 45 minutes to roast. Slice off the top ½ inch of the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves, then drizzle with oil to coat. Wrap in foil and roast until the cloves are tender.
- To make the soup extra creamy, add milk or coconut milk in place of the water. I still recommend adding the vegetable bouillon for extra flavor.
Leftovers and storage
- This recipe makes roughly 1 quart of tomato soup. I like to store it in a quart-sized mason jar.
- Leftovers are best within 4 to 5 days. Keep refrigerated in a closed container.
- Freezing: Tomato soup freezes well. If freezing in a glass jar, make sure to let the soup cool to room temp before freezing and leave at least one inch of space at the top of the jar. Let thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to reheat.
- Reheating: Single servings can be reheated in the microwave in just 1-2 minutes. Make sure to cover the bowl of soup with a paper towel etc. before reheating as it can make a big mess! Or reheat in a sauce pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
More tomato-based recipes
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Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 3 pounds on-the-vine tomatoes see note #1
- 2 medium red bell peppers
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion sliced into 4-5 wedges
- 4-5 garlic cloves skins removed
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ to 1 cup water see note #2
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves packed into cup
- ¼ teaspoon sugar adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Layer a large sheet pan with parchment paper (optional, makes clean-up easier).
- Slice the tomatoes into 3-4 pieces. Remove the center stem and core from the tomatoes. Slice the bell peppers into 4-5 wedges, removing the center seeds and stem. Quarter the onions, also removing the core and pulling apart the layers of the onion to make 7-8 pieces total.
- Spread the tomatoes, onion pieces, red pepper slices, and cloves of garlic out in an even layer on the sheet pan.
- Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Use clean hands or a spatula to toss everything together.
- Transfer to the oven to roast on the middle rack at 425F for 30-35 minutes. It is ready when some pieces have char marks (they shouldn't be completely burned, just blackened in spots) and the tomatoes are reduced in size.
- Transfer everything to a blender. Be careful not to overfill the blender. Add ½ cup water, vegetable bouillon, basil, and sugar.
- Blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until pureed. Vent the blender as needed to avoid steam buildup. Add the remaining ½ cup water as desired (I usually end up adding the full cup of water).
- Taste for salt and sugar. Garnish with extra basil and enjoy!
Notes
- Tomatoes: Any slicing tomato should work fine, just make sure to remove the core. I have made this recipe with half cherry tomatoes/half slicing tomatoes with success, though it yields a slightly less uniform texture.
- Water/bouillon: 1 cup of vegetable broth can be used in place of the water and bouillon.
- Freezing: This tomato soup freezes well. If freezing in a glass jar, make sure to let the soup cool to room temp before freezing and leave at least one inch of space at the top of the jar. Let thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to reheat.
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