Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe with Roasted Peppers (Video)

Roasted tomato soup made with charred tomatoes, a whole head of sweet garlic and roasted peppers, blended silky smooth. I didn’t like tomato soup for most of my life, and this is the bowl that changed my mind. The smoky flavor is my favorite part, and it comes from one small extra step with the pepper.

Love a cozy bowl? Try my Zuppa Toscana or Smoky Hunter’s Soup next.

The short video is right below the reasons to love it.

What Makes This the Best Roasted Tomato Soup?

When I was testing this recipe, four things took it from ordinary to really good: roasted tomatoes instead of canned, roasted garlic, grilled peppers and roasted onion. Roasting browns the tomatoes and garlic and brings out their natural sugar, so the soup tastes deeper and sweeter than one simmered on the stove.

The first time, I used grilled peppers left over from the day before, and I loved the hint of smoke they added without taking over. You can roast the pepper on the pan with the tomatoes instead, but if you want the best version, grill it.

Roasted Tomato Soup Ingredients

Ripe tomatoes, garlic, a pepper and an onion, plus a few pantry seasonings, a splash of cream and some Parmesan. Amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom.

Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers

• Tomatoes: the ripest you can find, since they’re the main flavor. Roma tomatoes are the classic pick, but I used beefsteak and tomatoes on the vine and couldn’t tell a difference.
• Garlic: fresh cloves, not jarred, which has a sour, preserved taste. Roasted, garlic turns soft and sweet, so it never tastes harsh in the soup.
• Peppers: a bell pepper or mini sweet peppers, any color. I used yellow and orange ones, and a red pepper turns the soup a deeper red.
• Onion: yellow onion is best. Roasted with the tomatoes or caramelized in a skillet, its natural sugars brown and give the soup a sweet, rounded flavor.
• Olive oil: for roasting the vegetables, and for the skillet if you caramelize the onions. Any mild cooking oil works too.

Tomato Soup Base

• Chicken broth: store-bought or homemade, or hot water with Better Than Bouillon. Vegetable broth works too.
• Heavy cream: it makes the soup silky and softens the tomatoes’ tang. Skip it for a lighter soup, and it’s still very good.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano: it melts into the hot soup and adds a salty, nutty depth. Grate it from a block – pre-grated shaker cheese can clump instead of melting.
• Sugar: it balances the tomatoes’ acidity rather than making the soup sweet. Off-season tomatoes need more, ripe summer ones less.
• Kosher salt: I use Morton, and the amount in the card is measured for it.
• Black pepper: freshly ground has the most flavor.
• Basil or Italian seasoning: fresh basil is best. A pinch of Italian seasoning works when you have none.
• Cayenne pepper: just a pinch for gentle warmth. Add more if you like it spicy.

How to Make Roasted Tomato Soup

Step-by-step, with photos. The video near the top of the post shows every step. Roast the vegetables on one pan, then blend everything with hot broth, cream and Parmesan.

How to Roast the Vegetables for Tomato Soup

The tomatoes and garlic roast on one pan. The onions can roast right with them or caramelize in a skillet.

1. Heat the oven – to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
2. Load the pan – cut the tomatoes into 6 wedges each and spread them out in one layer, with the garlic cloves tucked in between. If you are not grilling the pepper, cut it up and add it to the pan now. Drizzle with olive oil, keeping some back if you plan to caramelize the onions in a skillet. Don’t crowd the pan – packed tight, the tomatoes steam instead of browning, so use two pans for a big batch.
3. Prep the onions – pick the way that suits you:
   • On the pan: cut the onions in half, then each half into 4 to 6 pieces, and scatter them over the tomatoes before they go in the oven.
   • In a skillet: dice the onions and cook them in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat while the tomatoes roast, stirring now and then, until deep golden. Keep the heat at medium – dark, burnt bits turn the soup bitter.
4. Roast 20-25 minutes – until the tomatoes soften and char on the tops. Pull out any garlic cloves or onion pieces that turn dark brown, since burnt bits taste bitter. Keep all the juices on the pan for the soup.
   

   

5. Grill or roast the pepper – pick the way that suits you:
   • On the grill: grill it whole over medium heat, turning, until soft with dark grill marks. This is my favorite, for the light smoky taste.
   • In the oven: it roasts on the pan with the tomatoes, added in the step above.

How to Blend Roasted Tomato Soup

A countertop blender gives the silkiest soup. Hot food expands as it blends, so leave room in the jar and let the steam out.

1. Load the blender – add the roasted tomatoes and garlic with all the pan juices, the pepper (stem and seeds removed), the onions (with their oil, if you used the skillet), the salt, black pepper, cayenne, basil and about a third of the sugar. Fill the blender no more than halfway, and blend in two batches if it’s fuller.
   

   

2. Blend until smooth – on high for about 2 minutes. Vent the lid – take out the center cap and hold a folded towel over the opening, so steam can escape instead of pushing the lid up.
3. Add broth and cream – with the blender running on low, slowly pour the hot chicken broth through the lid opening, then the hot cream. Add a little more broth if you like a thinner soup.
   
   Why does the cream need to be hot?

   Hot cream blends right into the hot soup and keeps it steaming. Cold cream cools the whole batch down, and you’d have to reheat it before serving.

   

4. Blend in the Parmesan – add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and blend on low until it melts into the soup.
5. Taste and adjust – blend in the rest of the sugar a little at a time if the soup tastes sour. Taste before adding more salt, since the Parmesan is salty. Serve hot.
   
   My soup still tastes too sour.

   Off-season tomatoes are more acidic, so they often need all of the sugar. Add it a pinch at a time and blend again, or add a splash more cream to soften the tang.
   My soup cooled down while blending.

   Pour it into a pot and warm it over medium-low, stirring, until it steams. Once the cream is in, don’t let it boil hard.

Marina’s Pro Tips for theBest Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasting and blending sound simple, but these details decide how the bowl tastes.

• Give the tomatoes room on the pan. Spread out in one layer, they char at the edges. Crowded, they steam and taste flat.
• Scrape in every bit of tomato juice. The juice and browned bits left on the parchment are pure roasted tomato flavor.
• Grill the pepper for a smoky soup. Roasting it on the pan works, but grill marks add a gentle smoky taste.
• Add the sugar last, a little at a time. Ripe summer tomatoes may need only a third of it, so taste before you add more.
• Freeze the soup before the cream goes in. Stir hot cream in after reheating, and the soup stays smooth.

What to Serve With Roasted Tomato Soup

Grilled cheese is the classic, and it’s my favorite too.

• Grilled cheese – even better on slices of my bread machine bread.
• Breadsticks – crisp Italian grissini for dipping.
• Croutons – toasted bread cubes on top, like in the photos.
• Pita chips – an easy crunchy side for a quick lunch.

Craving another cozy soup? Try my mushroom soup with potatoes and noodles.

How to Make Roasted Tomato Soup Ahead

Roast ahead: roast the vegetables up to 3 days early, and keep them covered in the fridge. Blend them with hot broth and cream, then warm the soup in a pot.

Make the whole soup: it keeps 4 days in the fridge, so you can make it a day or two before and reheat.

Quick answers for when something doesn’t go as planned, plus a few swaps.

More Tomato Recipes to Try

Got more ripe tomatoes? These are four more ways I use them.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

Linguine in a creamy tomato sauce with tender chicken. →

Baked Feta Pasta

Roasted cherry tomatoes and creamy feta tossed with pasta. →

Creamy Tomato Basil Salad

Juicy tomatoes and sweet onion in a light, creamy dressing. →

Margherita Flatbread Pizza

Tomato, mozzarella and basil on flatbread in 15 minutes. →

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Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe with Roasted Peppers

5 from 8 votes

Roasted tomato soup made with charred tomatoes, sweet roasted garlic and grilled peppers, blended silky smooth with a splash of cream.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: tomato soup

Calories: 348 kcal

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers

• 2½ lb (1130 g) ripe tomatoes about 5 large
• 1 head garlic cloves peeled
• 1 bell pepper any color (Note 1)
• 5 mini sweet peppers instead of the bell pepper
• 4 Tbsp (60 ml) olive oil for the pan, or 2 Tbsp for the skillet (Note 2)
• 2 yellow onions cut into pieces or diced (Note 2)

Tomato Soup Base

• 1½ cups (360 ml) chicken broth hot, plus up to ½ cup more to thin (Note 3)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream heated to a boil (Note 4)
• ½ cup (50 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated from a block
• 1½ Tbsp (19 g) granulated sugar start with about a third, add to taste (Note 5)
• ½ tsp kosher salt Morton
• 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
• 4 fresh basil leaves instead of the Italian seasoning
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper up to ¼ tsp for more heat

Equipment: The pans and tools I use are in my Amazon shop.

Instructions

How to Roast the Vegetables for Tomato Soup

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Load the pan. Cut 2½ lb ripe tomatoes into 6 wedges each and spread them out in one layer. Tuck the cloves from 1 head garlic between them. Not grilling the pepper? Cut it up and add it to the pan now. Drizzle with 4 Tbsp olive oil, keeping 2 Tbsp back if you caramelize the onions in a skillet. Don't crowd the pan - use two pans for a big batch.

3. On the pan: cut 2 yellow onions in half, then each half into 4-6 pieces, and scatter them over the tomatoes. In a skillet: dice them and cook in 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat while the tomatoes roast, stirring now and then, until deep golden (Note 2).

4. Roast 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and char on the tops. Pull out any garlic cloves or onion pieces that turn dark brown.

5. On the grill: grill 1 bell pepper (or 5 mini sweet peppers) whole over medium heat, turning, until soft with dark grill marks. In the oven: it roasts on the pan with the tomatoes from step 2 (Note 1).

How to Blend Roasted Tomato Soup

1. Load the blender. Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic with all the pan juices, the pepper (stem and seeds removed), the onions (with their oil, if made in the skillet), ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp Italian seasoning (or 4 fresh basil leaves) and about a third of the sugar (Note 5). Fill the blender no more than halfway, in two batches if needed.

2. Blend until smooth on high, about 2 minutes, with the center cap out and a folded towel held over the opening so steam can escape.

3. Add broth and cream. With the blender on low, slowly pour in 1½ cups chicken broth through the lid opening, then ¼ cup heavy cream. Add a little more broth for a thinner soup (Note 3).

4. Blend in the Parmesan. Add ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and blend on low until it melts into the soup.

5. Taste and adjust. Blend in the rest of the sugar a little at a time if the soup tastes sour (Note 5). Taste before adding more salt - the Parmesan is salty. Serve hot (Note 6).

Recipe Notes

1. Peppers: any color works. I used yellow and orange mini sweet peppers; a red bell pepper turns the soup a deeper red. Grilling adds a light smoky taste, and roasting it on the pan with the tomatoes is quicker.

2. Onion, two ways: roast it on the pan with the tomatoes, or dice it and caramelize it in a skillet with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil while the tomatoes roast. Either way, pull out or avoid dark, burnt bits, which turn the soup bitter. Onion from the skillet goes into the blender with its oil.

3. Broth: hot broth keeps the soup hot as it blends. Hot water with 1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon works too, and vegetable broth works too. For a vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth and a vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese, since real Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with animal rennet.

4. Cream: hot cream blends straight into the hot soup. Leave it out for a lighter soup, or use more broth instead.

5. Sugar: it balances the tomatoes' acidity. Ripe summer tomatoes may need only a third of it; off-season tomatoes usually need it all.

6. Storage: fridge up to 4 days, freezer up to 3 months. For the smoothest soup, freeze it before adding the cream and stir the hot cream in after reheating.

7. Make ahead: roast the vegetables up to 3 days early, keep them covered in the fridge, then blend with hot broth and cream and warm the soup in a pot.

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe with Roasted Peppers

Amount Per Serving

Calories 348 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 27mg9%

Sodium 930mg40%

Potassium 935mg27%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 3295IU66%

Vitamin C 86.2mg104%

Calcium 204mg20%

Iron 1.2mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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I first shared this roasted tomato soup in 2018, the year I finally came around to tomato soup. In October 2026 I added a short video, clearer step-by-step instructions, make-ahead and freezing notes, a FAQ, the Parmesan I blend in at the end, and a recipe card with metric measurements.