Fire roasted tomato soup is a bright and comforting soup made with whole canned tomatoes, roasted garlic and shallot, fresh basil, and a touch of cream.
A warm bowl of tomato soup is a wonderful thing. A warm bowl of fire roasted tomato soup with roasted garlic and shallots that you made yourself from pantry staples? That’s a next-level wonderful thing. This simple recipe uses canned tomatoes for ease, but the whole roasted garlic and shallot adds a savory depth of flavor that really elevates this soup into something company-worthy, if you need it to be.
Takeaways: canned tomatoes make fabulous soup. The Italians do it, and so should you. Using fire roasted tomatoes + roasted garlic and shallot makes a huge difference.
ingredients for fire roasted tomato soup
I love a simple, short ingredient list. The pantry is your friend here, but I did have to venture out to get fresh basil (totally worth the trip!)
- garlic
- shallot
- fire roasted whole canned tomatoes
- If you can find San Marzano tomatoes, grab them. But the most important thing is to find good quality whole tomatoes. I used Muir Glen.
- chicken stock or veggie stock
- fresh basil
- salt and pepper
- sugar
- optional, but helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes a little bit and balances the flavors nicely.
whole canned tomatoes are best
Whole canned tomatoes are considered superior, both in terms of flavor and texture. They have a richer, more nuanced flavor compared to processed diced or crushed. They’re usually free of additives like calcium chloride, which is added to make diced tomatoes firmer (but can be slightly metallic-tasting.) The best tomatoes are reserved for canning whole, as well, and even though we’re going to be pureeing our tomatoes, it pays to start with the best.
how to roast garlic and shallots for fire roasted tomato soup
This is easy peasy, and it will probably inspire you to add this flavor bomb to other recipes…
- Slice you garlic in half through the middle. Slice a large shallot in half lengthwise.
- Put them in a small pan and coat the cut sides liberally with olive oil.
- Cover loosely with foil and roast at 375F for 30-40 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
- Let cool briefly and then squeeze the garlic cloves out, and remove the skins from the shallot.
- Your roasted garlic and shallots are ready to use. In this case we’ll be blending them with the tomatoes.
so many ways to vary it up!
- this fire roasted tomato soup has a subtle hint of basil, but feel free to up the ante: blend in a whole handful for a more herbaceous touch.
- add roasted red pepper for a sweeter, more complex flavor.
- make it creamier by adding more cream to the whole batch, or drizzle it over individual bowls.
- make it vegan by using veggie stock and cashew cream in place of the dairy cream.
- add some red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat.
- go wild and add crumbled bacon to the top of your soup!
why we love fire roasted tomato soup
The number one reason I love this soup is the balance of flavors. The acidity of the roasted tomatoes is mellowed by with the savoriness of the roasted garlic and the cream, but it still shines through. The flavors are simple, but all in harmony, and all you need is a great piece of crusty, buttery bread or a simple grilled cheese to make this humble meal into something memorably comforting and delicious.
more soups we love
Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- Dutch oven or soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 shallot, large
- olive oil
- 28 oz fire roasted whole tomatoes, canned
- 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- several sprigs of fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cut a full head of garlic in half, crosswise. Cut a large shallot in half, lengthwise. Put in a small oven-safe dish, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until fragrant and tender. When you can handle them safely, remove the roasted garlic and shallot from their skins.
- Put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor along with the roasted garlic and shallot. Puree until smooth.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven until hot, but not smoking. Pour the tomato puree onto the hot oil, it may sputter a little bit so be careful.
- Add the stock and basil to the pot. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the basil, and taste to adjust for seasoning. Add sugar if you'd like, and stir in the heavy cream. Serve hot with croutons and fresh basil leaves.
