Tomatoes, onion and garlic, roasted to perfection then turned into a beautiful soup that’s so easy to make. One spoonful of this creamy, luscious soup and you’ll be a fan for life!
A couple of years ago I went on a quest to find a great tomato soup recipe. This was a bit more of a task than I expected. At this point, I can’t remember how many pots of soup I made and of course, I had my family taste each one. Some were too bland, some were too spicy and some, well, were just awful. I kinda felt like Goldilocks….searching for one that tasted “just right.”
Finally, my boys had had enough….”just make up your own recipe, for Pete’s sake!” So, after a few more tries, I found just the right fit. I have taken this soup to many luncheons and covered dish events and it always gets rave reviews. I put it in a crock pot to keep warm and away we go. You may be thinking…tomato soup in summer? Well, I like it chilled with a little dollop of sour cream and fresh basil. You can also partially make the soup and freeze it for the cooler months.
More great soup recipes to try ~
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Chicken & Cheese Tortellini Tuscan Soup
- Amazing Roasted Cabbage Soup
- Mushroom Soup with No Cream
- Beef & Bean Crock Pot Soup
The real key to this soup is the roasting. Make sure that you caramelize the tomatoes, onions and garlic so that the intensity of their flavors come out. One more thing – No, you cannot use skim or 2% milk! You are only using a cup and will lose the richness of the soup if you cut corners – just saying. I most often make a double batch to use throughout the week for lunch and as an after school snack.
This post was originally posted in June, 201
This post was originally posted in June, 201
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs tomatoes - a blend of several different kinds work best. I use fresh, Roma, and grape tomatoes
- 1 medium to large red onion , sliced
- 6-8 cloves garlic , peeled
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 bay leaves , 3 if small
- 2 cups chicken stock
- pinch cayanne pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup half and half
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Take out seeds. If using cherry tomatoes, you can just leave them whole.
- Put tomatoes, onion and garlic on baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil, coating well. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for approximately 30 minutes or until you see the tomatoes start to caramelize.
- Remove from oven and place into a stock pot.
- Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, cayanne pepper and butter.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by about ⅓.
- Puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender (the boat motor as the boys call it) or a blender.
- Add half and half and return to a low simmer. At this point -stop and taste! Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve with fresh basil - Enjoy!!
Notes
Shared with my friends at Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday.
Comfort Food With A Twist
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Donya, after having this wonderful soup at your house last year, I froze some – leaving out the half and half – took it out on one of those snowy days we had in January and brought a little bit of summer to an otherwise dreary day. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Already have 4 containers in my freezor for this coming winter and thinking about how it would make a great addition to a Christmas basket with soup bowls and cracker. Love your blog…keep the love coming. Pam Jackson
Made the tomato pie Mon. All gone as of last night (between only two of us). Can't wait to make the soup. Jane J.
P.S. Would love to know how you make the dressing for you cucumber and tomato salad.
Like Miss Pam, I have eaten Donya's tomato soup and I have made Donya's tomato soup. As a matter of fact, I ate of the same pot of soup with Pam and I have prepared it for a girl lunch shared with Jane. (See the comments above.) The tricks are (1) to roast the tomatoes/onions/garlic mixture, (2) to use the half and half and not skim AND (3) to use different kinds of tomatoes. Caprese tomatoes (sp?) are great in the winter. Pricey but great.
Sounds tasty! I love soup year round especially if it is homemade with great ingredients. Yum!
I have made the tomato soup of Donya’s…also for a girl lunch. And Anonymous#2…you’re right…Caprese tomatoes make a difference. And on a cold wintry day….Mmmmm good. (I might have borrowed that from a soup company.)
When you say 2 1/2 pounds tomato, is that before or after removing the seeds?
Hey there Barbara!
That’s a great question! I meant 2 and a 1/2 pounds of tomatoes before you start peeling and removing the seeds. I hope this helps, thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I hope you enjoy!
~Donya