- Amanda
This week as I set out to create a cream of tomato soup, I turned to two food52 recipes for inspiration. I wanted to employ Oui, Chef’s technique of roasting the vegetables to create the foundation for a soup. And I was looking to riff on The Weary Epicurean’s Tomato Bisque. In her bisque, The Weary Epicurean has you sear halved tomatoes in a pan before lavishing them with butter and cream.
For my version, I roasted the tomatoes with a few cloves of garlic, then mashed the roasted tomato pulp with cream and cream alone. (Make sure you mash the tomatoes well, so you end up with a fine pulp, not chunks.) And then because I couldn’t stop myself, I made a rosemary-and-thyme oil to sprinkle on top.
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
Serves 4
- 8 medium beefsteak tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/ 4 cup olive oil, plus more for the tomatoes
- Salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Sugar, if needed
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 thick slices country bread, toasted and brushed with olive oil, for serving
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the tomatoes cut-side down. Add the garlic cloves (with skins on). Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Add the ¼ cup olive oil, the rosemary and thyme to a small saucepan and place over low heat. Let warm until you begin smelling the herbs, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Peel the tomatoes and add the pulp and juices to a soup pan. Squeeze the garlic from its skin and add it to the pan. Place the pan over medium heat, and begin mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher until it’s pulpy, but not chunky (if you prefer to use a food processor, go ahead – just make sure you leave it pulpy). When the mixture is hot but not boiling, stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt. Add a pinch of sugar, if needed. Ladle into bowls and season with pepper. Sprinkle a little herb oil on top of the soup. Pass the toasts at the table.
44 Comments on Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup:
I love this soup!! My husband has an aversion to chunky tomatoes (??!) so I use an immersion blender just before serving.
I just made this soup with a combination of Peach Boy and San Marzano tomatoes sans rosemary and thyme and topped it off with some rustic olive bread croutons. Yum! The roasted tomatoes are so wonderful in this soup. I just ate a bowl and am already really wanting a second. Thank you for inspiring me.
Made this tonight, tasted good, but look like pepto bismol. I used heavy cream, and maybe the ratio of cream to tomatoes was wrong
Made this tonight with grilled cheese sandwiches. Really delicious. Thanks.
Would it be a dairy overload to serve this along side a grilled cheese for a indulgent saturday early autumn lunch? I know someone her has a brilliant idea for bread and cheese combos to pair with this soup...
I'm actually going to serve this alongside grilled cheese tonight! Probably chewy artisan bread with Gouda and nutty aged cheese I brought back from Amsterdam!
Looks SOOOOO good!
I roasted a bunch more of my homegrown San Marzano tomatoes today. They are hanging out in the fridge until I have time to make this tomorrow...so excited.
Just made a pot of this comfort soup on this lazy Sunday to go with some bread I baked yesterday. What a wonderful gift - like LND says, it's a hug in a bowl. I have a little left and plan to roast up some red peppers to add to it to make it go further.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks for reporting back -- glad you liked it!
Thank you for helping me to utilize what seems like a late summer deluge of big giant brandwines. I made this for lunch today and it only served two...so scrumptious, we both had seconds! The brandywines gave this soup a very pretty pink color. I always make a very rich creamy tomato soup from a family recipe, but the roasting in this makes that soup pale by comparison.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks for giving it a try!
What happens to the seeds, it would seem better to remove the seeds before roasting. I will this week and post my results.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoI thought about seeding them but the seeds didn't bother me. Let me know what you find!
I find that when I roast tomatoes, many of the seeds fall from the flesh by the time they are done cooking. These I leave behind in the pan, but I don't bother to scout out the hangers-on for removal, as I can't imagine the benefit would be worth the effort.
In the recipe you say to put tomatos cut side down, but in the picture they are cut side up!
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoYou can do them either way, but I wrote the recipe that way because after roasting them cut side up (in the photo), I thought they'd benefit from being cut side down -- their juices would flow into the roasting pan and caramelize better.
I made this today--wonderful! and I roasted the tomatoes cut side down. They did caramelize really well, but the juices leaked under the foil and I'm still soaking my baking sheet to get all the baked on tomato off. I also left the seeds in--they didn't bother me either. Really great recipe.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agodrbabs -- good to know about the pan situation. Sorry about that!
Oh--no worries--it was nothing that a little soaking and a steel wool pad couldn't handle.
I didn't mind soaking my pan, but I fear I lost too many juices to my pan with the cut side down method.
Great idea, was just wondering what to with the tomatos still on the vine and with all my herbs,
two massive pumkins who would of thunk that I live in a big city Mtl
tks M&A
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks -- hope you enjoy it.
The fresh tomatoes in Northern VA are all gone. I belong to a c.s.a. and summer seems to be over. We're on to lots of greens of all kinds, winter squashes, etc. Boo hoo for the end of summer and tomatoes!
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoSorry to hear it -- but lots of great fall foods ahead!
I haven't made soup all Summer, this will be my first pick when the cold weather hits.
www.lickmyspoon.com
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoGreat -- enjoy!
I want this!!
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoIt's all yours!
Roasted the tomatoes last night in preparation for dinner w/a friend tonight... can't wait!
The rosemary-thyme oil looks like it would also be nice to perk up some other dishes, say an autumn squash puree, or perhaps a Potage Crécy. I'm inspired (as usual!!) ;o)
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoLike the Potage Crecy idea.
This looks great - just in time for fall. If you make it enough and get tired of the rosemary-thyme oil, I usually garnish my creamy tomato or red pepper soups with a dollup of goat cheese and drizzled pesto while the soup is piping hot.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoYour idea would also be great in summer -- you could eat this more at room temperature if it's a hot day.
The first pic is not "cut side down"?
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoYes -- I changed the instructions to cut side down so more of the tomato juices would flow out and caramelize.
yum
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoI like visceral responses to my posts -- thanks.
So luscious, so beautiful. Wow. I'm buying tomatoes, lots of them, to make this. LND is spot on . . . . comfort food at its best. Thanks for developing and posting this! ;o)
Talk about the best of both worlds - yum.
So simple and delicious sounding....a perfect way to use the roasted tomatoes. I love the unexpected rustic "chunkiness" of a creamed soup. I think I've got everything I need on-hand to make this tonight.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoSomeone recommended using a food mill and I think I'm going to try that next time. Might be easier to get the right texture.
This looks like a hug in a bowl - pure comfort. Between these and Merrill's soft scrambled eggs, I've got at least two weekend meals sorted.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoWish I'd thought of the "hug in a bowl" line.
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