Roasted Tomato Cream Soup
Forty minutes at 180°C (350°F) turns ordinary tomatoes into something else entirely: the water evaporates, the sugars concentrate, and the cut edges caramelize at the rim. The whole head of garlic roasts in its papery skin and comes out mellow and sweet, soft enough to squeeze from each clove like paste.
The step people skip is the one that decides the texture: push the blended tomatoes through a sieve. Tomato seeds cracked open by blender blades release a lingering bitterness that no amount of cream or basil will cover later.
Use meaty plum tomatoes for the full kilo (about 2 1/4 lb) — watery slicing varieties give a pale, sour soup no matter how long you roast them. The basil splits in two: half disappears into the puree, half stays fresh for the bowl. Yellow onion can replace the red, though the red one’s sweetness suits a tomato base, and the tomato paste, cooked in oil for a minute until it darkens, adds body and color.
Serve hot with croutons. The flavor rounds out overnight; it keeps four days in the fridge and freezes well.
Part of Italian cuisine — 33 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Halve the tomatoes and arrange them cut side up. Season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic to the sheet.
Roast for 40 minutes, then remove and let cool.
Peel the garlic. Blend the roasted tomatoes and garlic with half the chopped basil until smooth.
Push the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the tomato seeds.
In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until soft.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another minute until fragrant.
Pour in the stock and the tomato mixture, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring.
Serve with croutons and fresh basil leaves.
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