Oven-Roasted Tomato Soup
Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
This Oven-Roasted Tomato Soup is my answer to thin, sharp tomato soup. High-heat roasting concentrates plum tomatoes and caramelizes onion, while a split head of garlic turns sweet and mellow.
Smoked Pimentón de la Vera, oregano, and chili flakes deepen the flavor on the sheet pan before anything ever hits the blender. The finish is simple but specific: a touch of cream for a silky texture, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for gloss, and sherry vinegar added at the end for lift. Living close to Jerez, that last step is the point—it brightens roasted tomato without making the soup taste harsh.
Serve it with a classic grilled cheese and you have an easy dinner that tastes like more work than it is.
Watch my video to follow along step-by-step.
Oven-Roasted Tomato Soup
Yield: 2–3 servings
Time: About 50 minutes
Oven: 450°F (220°C)
Ingredients
For the sheet pan
2 lb (900 g) plum tomatoes, halved
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, sliced horizontally
2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp (6 g) sea salt, plus more to taste
1/3 tsp cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp (2 g) sugar (up to 1 tsp / 4 g if needed)
1 1/3 tsp smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
2/3 tsp dried oregano
Chili flakes, a small pinch to 1/3 tsp, to taste
For blending and simmering
1 to 1 1/4 cups (240–300 ml) chicken (or vegetable ) stock, heated
1-2 bay leaves (warm in the stock, then remove)
To finish
3 tbsp* (45 ml) cream (or Half and Half) *up to 1/4 cup / 60 ml if you want it richer
1 tsp (5 ml) sherry vinegar, plus 1 tsp (5 ml) more if needed
Extra virgin olive oil, for serving
Method
Heat the oven. Preheat to 450°F (230°C). Use a large sheet pan (or two) so the tomatoes roast instead of steam.
Build the sheet pan. Add tomatoes, onion, and the split garlic head (cut side up). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, sugar, smoked paprika, oregano, and chili flakes.
Roast. Roast 25–40 minutes, turning the pan once, until tomatoes are blistered with dark edges and the tray juices look concentrated. If the garlic browns too quickly, pull it early.
Warm the stock. Heat the chicken stock with the bay leaf for 5–10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.
Blend. Add the roasted vegetables and tray juices to the blender. Squeeze in roasted garlic, starting with about half the head. Add 1 cup (240 ml) hot stock and blend until smooth. Vent the lid and blend in batches if needed.
Simmer. Pour into a pot and simmer 8–12 minutes to tighten the texture. Add more stock to loosen, if needed.
Finish. Turn off the heat. Stir in cream. Add sherry vinegar (start with 1 tsp / 5 ml), taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Larder Notes
Roasting is the thickness. If the soup tastes thin, the tray needed more browning. You want blistered tomatoes and concentrated juices.
Vinegar belongs at the end. Add sherry vinegar off heat so it reads as lift, not sourness. Taste after each teaspoon.
Garlic control matters. With a smaller batch, garlic can dominate. Blend in half the head first, then decide if you want more.
Tomatoes vary. If tomatoes are bland, a little sugar helps, but balance usually comes from enough salt plus that final splash of sherry vinegar.
Make-ahead. Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated. Reheat gently; add the cream at the end for the freshest flavor.
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