This Cherry Tomato Soup recipe is like a shot of sunshine! It’s a bright, tangy and slightly sweet vegan soup and perfect when you are up to your elbows in fresh summertime tomatoes. And best of all, it’s incredibly simple and versatile.
Tomato soup is a classic for a reason! Most tomato soup recipes call for fresh Roma tomatoes or canned diced or whole tomatoes. But did you know you can make a delicious soup from fresh cherry tomatoes? And when your garden is overflowing with tomatoes, you’ll want to add this recipe to your repertoire because it tastes even better with garden-fresh sweet cherry tomatoes. For this recipe we simply roast whole cherry tomatoes with a good amount of garlic, onions, dried and fresh herbs and some extra-virgin olive oil.
Ingredients that Matter
This recipe only has a handful of simple ingredients:
- Cherry Tomatoes. It wouldn’t be tomato soup without the tomatoes! And we love to use roasted cherry tomatoes. You’ll need about 6 cups (that’s about 1 ¾ lbs.), and while we prefer to use all red so the soup stays a nice reddish orange color, you can use whatever you have. If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, you can use grape tomatoes.
- Onion. The recipe calls for one medium yellow onion chopped, but you can certainly use a couple shallots or a small sweet onion, if you prefer.
- Garlic. This soup has a good amount of roasted garlic flavor and that comes from six whole cloves of garlic. We add it to the tomatoes and oil so the garlic cloves take on a nice roasted flavor.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Any oil works well, but we prefer the fruity flavor of extra-virgin olive oil. You need a few tablespoons to encourage the garlic and tomatoes to roast.
- Fresh Herbs. Roast the tomatoes with a fresh woody herb. We love a couple teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves. Then, finish the soup with a small handful of fresh torn basil leaves (garnish with more).Â
- Dried Herbs. A bit of dried herbs, in this case we use Italian seasoning (but oregano or basil work well, too), adds some depth of flavor and complexity to the soup.
How to Make Cherry Tomato Soup
The key to making cherry tomato soup is to let the tomatoes roast long enough that they turn sweet, so don’t skimp on the roast time!
Start by adding the cherry tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic cloves, dried Italian seasoning, fresh thyme leaves, salt, pepper and extra-virgin olive oil to a Dutch oven, oven-safe large skillet (not cast iron) or a braiser pan (shown above). Toss well to combine.
Roast at 425°F in the middle rack of the oven, stirring halfway through, until the tomatoes are blistered and caramelized and the garlic is super soft, about 45 minutes.
Cool slightly then carefully scoop mixture into a blender. Add basil and vegetable broth and puree until smooth. Alternatively, add basil and vegetable broth to the roasted vegetables and use and immersion blender to blend until smooth. Return soup to the Dutch oven, skillet or braiser and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Note: For a smoother soup, strain through a fine-mesh strainer or puree longer.
How to Serve this Soup
The soup is delicious as is, but if you want to make some additions, try adding a can of drained white beans. Simply heat the soup over medium-high heat and add the beans. Cook until the beans are heated through. Top the soup with crispy croutons and you have a hearty dinner soup.
We also love this tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for a light lunch.Â
Other additions:
- To make a creamy soup, add a splash of heavy cream (or vegan alternative)
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese
- A splash of sherry vinegar
- A big pinch of red pepper flakes
- A pinch of Aleppo pepper
- A drizzle of a little olive oil
- Our Homemade Basil Pesto
- Our Air Fryer Steak Fries
Storage Tips
Soup typically tastes best the next day, and the same goes for this soup! Simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.Â
Or, you can freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Be sure the soup is room temperature (or cold) and transfer to a freezer safe zip-top bag, label and lay flat in the freezer.Â
To reheat, simply bring to a simmer in a saucepan or large pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.Â
Why You Should Make this Soup
- This soup is vegetarian and vegan, plus it’s packed with vegetables
- It’s an ideal appetizer or side soup
- It’s mostly hands-off cooking
- You can easily adjust the seasoning
- Add additional ingredients to make it a complete meal, like beans, tofu, lentils, etc.
- This soup tastes garden fresh thanks to using ripe tomatoes
- You can swap in any small tomatoÂ
Can you make this soup on a sheet tray or baking sheet? Yes! Follow the same method to make the roasted tomato soup and after blending with basil and vegetable broth, transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil before serving. We recommend roasting the vegetables on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Looking for more vegetarian soups and stews? Try our Butter Bean and Kale Stew or our Lentil and Red Pepper Soup.
PrintRecipe
Cherry Tomato Soup
- Total Time: 50 min.
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
This Cherry Tomato Soup recipe is like a shot of sunshine! It’s a bright, tangy and slightly sweet vegan soup and perfect when you are up to your elbows in fresh summertime tomatoes. And best of all, it’s incredibly simple and versatile.
Ingredients
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes (about 1 ¾ lbs.)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. table salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup torn basil leaves, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and place a rack in the middle position of the oven.
- Place tomatoes, onions, garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning, table salt and black pepper in a Dutch oven, oven-safe large skillet or brassier pan and toss to combine. Drizzle in oil and gently toss. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are golden brown and have released much of their own juices and the garlic is very soft, about 45 minutes.
- Cool slightly then add broth and basil and blend with an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a blender and puree until smooth (be careful when blending hot ingredients). Strain the soup if you want a smoother consistency. Transfer mixture back to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Serve immediately with more fresh torn basil leaves.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze, cool soup to room temperature then transfer to a freezer safe zip-top bag, label then lay flat in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions:
- A splash of heavy cream (or vegan alternative)
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese
- A splash of sherry vinegar
- A big pinch of red pepper flakes
- A pinch of Aleppo pepper
- A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
- Our Homemade Basil Pesto
- Our Air Fryer Steak Fries
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 45 min.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
John
Made this tomato soup with chicken stock and Campari tomatoes. It was easy to make and it tasted great.