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.
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 tomatoes in the summer.
The soup 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.
Want to make tomato soup with canned tomatoes instead? Check out my Instant Pot Tomato Soup!
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Recipe summary
- Concentrated flavor: Roasted tomatoes and peppers have more flavor than raw or even sautéed 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 but a food processor also works. Blending the soup makes it ultra smooth and almost fluffy without any dairy.
- Tomatoes: I use tomatoes-on-the-vine if purchasing from the grocery store, but I also tested the soup with a blend cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes from the garden. Short version: This recipe works with any kind of tomato.
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. Save the jarred roasted red peppers for this red pepper orzo.
- 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 which is moderately garlicky, so I recommend adjusting to taste.
- 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.
- Milk: This is optional, but for a creamier soup add ½ cup of whole milk at the end of blending.
Step-by-step instructions
Roast the tomatoes, peppers, and onions
- 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).
- Transfer the tomato, pepper, onion, and garlic to the sheet pan. Toss with olive oil and salt. Layer the veggies evenly on the sheet pan so that the pieces do not overlap.
- 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
Note: Any kind of blender works for this recipe. I usually a Kitchenaid blender or immersion blender to blend soups, but a bullet-style blend also works well.
- Transfer the roasted ingredients to a blender. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon, ¼ teaspoon of sugar, 1 cup of water (or ½ cup water and ½ cup milk), and a handful of fresh basil.
- 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.
Cassidy's tips
- 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, use ½ cup of whole milk in place of ½ cup of the vegetable broth.
Storage notes
- This recipe makes roughly 1 quart of tomato soup. I like to store it in a quart-sized mason jars.
- 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
Tomatoes, peppers, and onions roast together on a sheet pan then are pureed in a blender in this smooth & flavorful tomato 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 wedges, discarding the core. Slice the bell peppers into 4-5 wedges, discarding 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 the roasted ingredients to a blender or food processor. 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 needed.
- Taste for salt and sugar. Garnish with extra basil and enjoy!
Video
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.
- For creamier soup, use ½ cup whole milk in place of ½ cup water/broth.
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup (roughly)Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 616mgPotassium: 1051mgFiber: 6gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 4859IUVitamin C: 128mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 2mg
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Sandy H says
Delicious. I had a bunch of regular and cherry tomatoes and peppers from the garden. It was probably 2 or 3x the recipe. I used half and half for part of the liquid, because I didn’t have whole milk. 2 whole onions and 3 whole garlic bulbs, plus basil from my garden. It tastes so fresh. Thank you. Freezing what we don’t eat tonight.
Cassidy Reeser says
It makes great leftovers, so I'm glad you were able to triple the recipe! And I bet it was even better with the half & half.