A 3 pound bag of freezer tomatoes is what made this the Best Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup that you can also freeze. Back in Summer shortly after moving to Napa, I bought 20 pounds of these wonderfully fragrant dry farmed Early Girl Tomatoes. Rather than canning them, I froze them straight in a freezer bag whole.
We’ve tended to roast them for a tomato sauce for lasagna but this week I roasted them for this heavenly tomato soup that was the cure to these cold winter blues. Scroll down to see how we make this and pin or print the recipe card to make this tonight!
What You’ll Love About This Roast Tomato Soup
This delicious soup hits all the right tomato notes for a fresh tomato soup that can also be made from frozen tomatoes. It’s also one of those classic soup recipes that pairs well with some cheesy homemade croutons or a classic grilled cheese. I love the use of carrots here that offers a balanced sweetness, without added sugar, to counter the acidity of the tomatoes.
The result is an incredibly easy tomato soup recipe that can be enjoyed all year long. This is especially enjoyable on a chilly day in the middle of winter when we’re craving the beauty of tomato season once more.
Ingredient List for The Roast Tomato Soup
This vegan tomato soup is ready in about an hour and doesn’t need a whole lot of ingredients to make this fresh homemade tomato soup shine. Here is what we’ll need to make it:
- 3 pounds of whole tomatoes. If you’re wanting to make this exactly as I have, you’ll need the Early Girl tomato variety. You can also use Roma tomatoes or your own tomatoes from your garden. We’re roasting the bunch of tomatoes here to bring out their sweetness for our homemade soup. See the note in the recipe card for using frozen tomatoes. I stored our tomatoes in reusable freezer bags in a single layer weighing about 3 pounds for each bag. This has been the easiest way to store and preserve those extra tomatoes to enjoy in the winter months.
- Aromatics. Shallots and garlic add depth of flavor to our large pot of soup. 2 small shallots about 2 inches in length, peeled and quartered
- 2 medium carrots. I love the use of carrots here for both an added veggie but also for its inherent sweetness. This helps in balancing the acidity of the tomatoes without an added teaspoon of sugar.
- Dried Herbs. Fresh basil is also great for our tomato soup especially if made with fresh tomatoes. Given both are not in season during this time of year, I like to opt for a mix of dried basil and thyme for this delicious homemade tomato soup recipe.
- Vegetable or Chicken Broth. You can opt for vegetable broth to keep this in the vegetarian or vegan space. Chicken broth also works. But if you are you using frozen tomatoes like I did, the tomato broth we yield from the liquid released during the roast is perfect here.
How to Make This Roast Tomato Soup
This soup is made in two parts. First, we’ll roast the tomatoes then blend them in a large blender. Once we strain the tomato mixture, we’ll then move on to the next step in prepping the remaining soup ingredients. Here’s how we make it:
Part I: Roast Tomatoes for Soup
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Clean and cut tomatoes into halves and quarters. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. See note below on how to prepare tomatoes for roasting if using them from frozen.
- Season tomatoes with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil. Add in the quartered shallot and whole garlic cloves. Using your hands, give the tomatoes and aromatics a gentle toss to coat in the salt and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Roast the tomatoes about 30-40 minutes until their juices release and skins begin to shrivel slightly. Carefully remove from oven and use a spoon to gently scoop tomatoes into a blender pitcher. Reserve any tomato liquid for the soup later. Blend roasted tomatoes until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl fitted with a colander or strainer, pour blended tomatoes to strain out skins and seeds. Remove colander or strainer. Set bowl to the side while prepping the next phase of the soup.
Part II: Prepping the Remaining Tomato Soup Ingredients
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrots and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the broth followed by the blended tomatoes. Season with the dried herbs and give the soup a stir. Using an immersion blender, blend the carrots and tomatoes together until smooth.
- Simmer soup until thickened as desired, about 15-20 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with more kosher salt and ground black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with croutons, toast, or your favorite grilled cheese.
Tips for Storage and How You Can Freeze This Homemade Roast Tomato Soup
Leftover tomato soup can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you start to burnout on the soup this also makes a lovely base for a homemade spaghetti sauce!
One of the best things about this soup is that it’s so versatile. Add in some crushed red pepper to make a slightly spicy pizza sauce. Make a bigger batch of the soup base to use as a base for pasta. No matter how you enjoy it, I definitely love this with a classic grilled cheese sandwich to dunk into this slightly creamy tomato soup.
When you are ready for the tomato soup freeze, you’ll want to allow the soup to cool completely before storing in freezer safe containers. Pour soup in individual portions in freezer safe containers. I love these 1-cup Souper Cubes as they are a great way to freeze soups and broth in single serving portions. Once frozen, you can remove the soup cubes and store in freezer bags for up to six months. Freezer tomato soup you’ve made from fresh garden tomatoes is a great practice in efficient meal prep.
More Soup Ideas for the Season
There’s a soup for every season and this Roasted Tomato Soup is a winner for winter. A few other seasonal soups you’ll love this time of year include:
- One-Pot Beef Stew
- Roast Carrot Soup with Harissa and Crispy Mushrooms
- Caldo de Pescado (Mexican Fish Soup)
Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup
Equipment
- 1 immersion blender
- 1 High-powered Blender
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds of whole tomatoes Early Girl or Roma Tomatoes
- 2 small shallots about 2 inches in length, peeled and quartered
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced into 1/2 inch diced pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups of roast tomato broth or vegetable or chicken broth
Instructions
Part I: Roasting Tomatoes for Soup
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Clean and cut tomatoes into halves and quarters. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. See note below on how to prepare tomatoes for roasting if using them from frozen.
- Season tomatoes with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil. Add in the quartered shallot and whole garlic cloves. Using your hands, give the tomatoes and aromatics a gentle toss to coat in the salt and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Roast the tomatoes about 30-40 minutes until their juices release and skins begin to shrivel slightly. Carefully remove from oven and use a spoon to gently scoop tomatoes into a blender pitcher. Reserve any tomato liquid for the soup later. Blend roasted tomatoes until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl fitted with a colander or strainer, pour blended tomatoes to strain out skins and seeds. Remove colander or strainer. Set bowl to the side while prepping the next phase of the soup.
Part II: Prepping the Remaining Tomato Soup Ingredients
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced carrots and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the broth followed by the blended tomatoes. Season with the dried herbs and give the soup a stir. Using an immersion blender, blend the carrots and tomatoes together until smooth.
- Simmer soup until thickened as desired, about 15-20 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with croutons, toast, or your favorite grilled cheese.
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