Smoky Roasted Tomato Soup Made with Fresh Tomatoes
If you haven’t made tomato soup with fresh tomatoes you are really missing out! This is my first year growing tomatoes and having a surplus of fresh garden tomatoes has forced me to get creative with how I use them. I’ve been drying them, putting them in wraps and on salads and making LOTS of fresh salsa. My favorite tomato creation so far has been this smoky roasted tomato soup.
The secret to this smoky roasted tomato soup is in the roasting of the tomatoes. Roasting tomatoes really intensifies their flavors. It also increases the availability of lycopene, an antioxidant with amazing healing potential.
In this recipe I use Roma tomatoes. You can use what you have on hand but Romas really have the ideal moisture content for roasting and using in soup.
This soup is easy to make. If you don’t have a immersion blender, you can use a regular blender and pulse to your desired consistency. Serve with your favorite bread or these gluten free crackers. If you really want to get wild, serve with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich for a perfect meal.
Smoky Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
For the roasted tomatoes:
- 9 fresh roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1.5 tsp. olive oil (omit or sub broth for oil free option)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
For the soup:
- 3 shallots, finely sliced
- 1 tsp olive oil (sub broth for oil free option)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 15 leaves fresh basil
Instructions
Roast the Tomatoes:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a rectangular glass baking dish, place the tomatoes (cut in half lengthwise) in a single layer with the cut side up.
- Drizzle the olive oil on top of the tomatoes and sprinkle on the oregano, salt and pepper.
- Bake for 45 minutes. The tomatoes will be soft and slightly charred but not burnt.
Prepare the soup:
- In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tsp. olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the finely sliced shallots to the heated pan. Saute for about 10 minutes. The shallots should be soft and slightly caramelized.
- Add the smoked paprika and vegetable broth to the pan.
- Put the roasted tomatoes (along with any liquid in the baking dish) into the pan with the broth, shallots and paprika.
- Using an immersion blender, blend everything to your preferred consistancy (I like a thick soup with a bit of texture).
- Add the fresh basil leaves and pulse the blender a few times to chop them up.
- Add salt to taste, if desired.
- Garnish with more chopped fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper.