There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of this Roasted Tomato Soup. Serve it up with mini grilled cheese sandwiches and you have the ultimate rainy day meal.
Full of fresh tomatoes, roasted until sweet and collapsing under the weight of their own juice. Soft, caramelised onions and garlic add depth of flavour and make you just feel good, you know?!!
The grilled cheese? Hmmmm … pure comfort.
- Incredibly easy to make
- Loaded with flavour
- Great for entertaining
- Freezer-friendly
I love that last point, because when tomatoes are at their absolute best in summer, you may not be feeling like soup but you can make the soup now and freeze it ready for the cooler months.
Try this easy butternut squash soup too.
Table of contents
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox!
Ingredients you’ll need
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Fresh tomatoes – Tomatoes available all year round will work and you can replace larger ones with cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes if you prefer. If you’re lucky enough to have them, use your own fresh garden tomatoes.
- Onion – roasting onions boosts their flavour whilst releasing and caramelising their sugars. It also softens the natural heat in onions.
- Garlic – If you’ve never tried roasting garlic, you need to. Just like onions, it softens the natural heat and releases the sugars. Soft with a mild sweetness, roasted garlic is also easier to digest.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – you can leave these out but they add another level of umami to the soup and definitely worth it.
- Chicken stock / broth: You can swap the chicken stock for vegetable broth / stock if you prefer.
- Tomato paste: This thick and rich puree of tomatoes adds so much flavour – umami and sweetness all at once.
- Seasoning: This soup is seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian herbs.
How to make roasted tomato soup
There are just a few simple steps to making this soup.
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Start by roasting seasoned tomatoes, onion and garlic in the oven for around 40 minutes.
- Squeeze the garlic out of the skins, then add that with the roasted veg and all the other ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup.
I like my soup quite thick but you can certainly add more stock or water to your batch of roasted garlic tomato soup to thin it out to the consistency you like.
The best cheese for the sandwiches
What is tomato soup without a good grilled cheese sandwich? But, before we make them, we need to work out which is the best cheese for grilled cheese. You need cheese with a good flavour as well as being creamy and perfect for melting.
I like to take a two-pronged approach to this and use a combination of two cheeses;
- Cheddar – Most of the cheesiness will come from the cheddar so pick one with a good flavour. Don’t used an aged or vintage cheddar though – they are drier and don’t melt quite as well.
- Substitute for cheddar: I wouldn’t change it. Cheddar is available everywhere in the world and works perfectly in this recipe
- Gouda – A mild, yellow cows milk cheese, this one is creamy and melts beautifully.
- Substitute for Gouda cheese: If you’re unable to find gouda, try using Edam, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Colby or Havarti.
You could also use this Parmesan Cheese Bread or these Herb and Cheddar Sconesto dip into your tomato soup.
How to make Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Fun, cute and super tasty, this is how I love to serve up grilled cheese when it’s going to be dipped into soup.
- Take a long baguette or french bread stick and cut it into rounds about 1cm thick.
- Butter one side of each slice
- Place a thin square of cheddar, about 3-4mm thick on half of the slices (the unbuttered side), followed by the same size piece of gouda on each.
- Sprinkle over a little pepper, then top each one with another slice of bread (buttered side out)
- Heat a grill plate, then sit the little sandwiches on top. Place a baking tray on top and weigh it down with a couple of small plates *
- After 2-3 minutes (or until they’re golden on the first side, flip them over and repeat the process for the other side.
You could skip the mini grilled cheese and serve this soup with these Cheese and garlic croutons instead.
Can you freeze tomato soup?
Yes, you can, so make a big batch then portion it out into airtight containers before freezing.
To thaw, just leave it in the fridge overnight or you can reheat from frozen in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
Whether you want to use up summers bounty of ripe fresh tomatoes or you’re just craving something hearty and warming, this roasted tomato soup is the way to go. Those cute mini grilled cheese sandwiches are just the icing on the cake.
Other recipes you might like
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Chunky Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Roasted Garlic and Potato Chowder
- Parmesan Cheese Bread
- Cheese and garlic croutons
Did you try this roasted tomato soup recipe?
Leaving a rating and comment below the recipe is so helpful!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to the newsletter for free recipes straight to your inbox. Also, follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Tomato Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ kg fresh roma tomatoes (3.3lb)
- 2 large red onions
- 1 head of garlic
- 4 ¼ cups chicken stock / broth
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons dried herbs (I use oregano & parsley)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Mini Grilled Cheese
- 1 stick french bread
- 12 slices cheddar (not aged or vintage)
- 12 slices gouda (notes)
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- Salt and pepper to taste
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- An immersion blender or standard blender for liquidising
Instructions
For the Roasted Tomato Soup
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / 180C fan forced. Line 2 large baking trays with foil and drizzle over half of the oil.
- Cut the tomatoes in half. Peel the onions and chop them in quarters. Cut the top off the head of garlic, leaving the root part intact and the skin on.
- Place the tomatoes, onions and garlic, cut side up in a single layer on the baking trays then drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins – discard the skins. Add the garlic, tomatoes, onions along with the juice from the baking trays to a large pot or dutch oven. Now add the remaining ingredients – chicken stock, sundried tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs.
- Bring to a boil and boil for around 2 minutes, then turn off the heat use a stick mixer or blender (see note) to liquidise the ingredients to the desired consistency.
- If you like your soup thinner, add a little boiling water or more stock until it’s right. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside while you make the mini grilled cheese.
- FOR THE MINI GRILLED CHEESE: Cut 24 thin rounds the bread stick.
- Place a slice of cheddar on 12 of the slices, then repeat with the gouda (don’t be shy, make sure to cover the bread with the cheese). Sprinkle with a little pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread.
- While the grill is heating over medium heat, brush the top of each mini sandwich with butter.
- Place the sandwiches on the grill butter side down, then place a baking tray with some plates to weight it down a little on top. Grill for 3-4 minutes or until just golden underneath.
- Brush the tops with a little more butter, flip the sandwiches, and grill on the other side for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- TO SERVE: Pour the soup into serving bowls, and top with a little parsley or fresh basil and maybe even a swirl of heavy cream. Serve the grilled cheese on the side.
Notes
- If you can’t find Gouda cheese, try using Edam, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Colby or Havarti.
- If using a blender to liquidise the soup;
a. Best to do it in two batches.
b. Remove the centre from the lid so there is an open hole, then cover with a tea towel.
Pulse slowly until enough steam has released to allow it to just blend without splashing up.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
6 Comments on “Roasted Tomato Soup (with Mini Grilled Cheese)”
I have been staying with my nan while she recovers from a hospital stay. I made this soup for her today and we loved it! In Nan’s words, it was “absolutely magnificent”. A mug of this soup with gorgeous cheesy bread was cosy, comforting perfection – so packed with flavour. Thanks for the winning recipe, I’ll definitely be making it again!
This is wonderful to hear. So happy you love it, Andrea.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is my favorite comfort food meal. Nothing warms you up like a hot bowl of soup and a cheesy melty yet crispy sandwich. So good!
I agree completely. Thanks Trang
Simple but tasty. Thank you Marie.
Thanks so much Pamela 🙂