Roasted Tomato Soup with Crispy Croutons (Printable)

Velvety blended roasted tomatoes with savory golden croutons for a rich, comforting bowl.

# What You Need:

→ Roasted Tomato Soup

01 - 3.3 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large onion, quartered
03 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
08 - 2 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
11 - 0.25 cup heavy cream or coconut cream, optional

→ Crispy Croutons

12 - 4 thick slices day-old bread, cut into 0.75 inch cubes
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
15 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
16 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Arrange halved tomatoes, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on a large baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss gently to coat evenly.
03 - Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until the tomatoes are caramelized and the onions are soft.
04 - In a bowl, toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
05 - Transfer the roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a large saucepan. Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, and sugar if using. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
06 - Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender and process until smooth.
07 - For extra creaminess, stir in the heavy cream or coconut cream. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top generously with crispy croutons. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The caramelization step unlocks a sweetness that makes you skip the sugar entirely, or barely need it.
  • Homemade croutons taste nothing like the stale, flavorless ones from a box, and they stay crispy even as the soup steams beneath them.
  • It's genuinely hard to mess up—roasting handles most of the heavy lifting while you relax.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step or use fresh tomatoes raw—it's the caramelization that creates the depth of flavor that separates this from every other tomato soup you've had.
  • The tomato paste isn't optional if you want richness; it concentrates and intensifies in a way that makes the whole soup taste more like itself.
03 -
  • Make the soup ahead and freeze it without the cream—it reheats beautifully and tastes even deeper the next day as flavors settle together.
  • Toast your croutons fresh on the day you serve; they're best crispy and warm, and they only take 15 minutes.
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