Tomato Soup from Scratch

Who doesn’t love tomato soup? For some reason, I always thought that tomato soup from scratch was so difficult to make. Guess what? It’s not! It’s incredibly simple and hardly takes any ingredients at all. All you will need is fresh tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper, oregano/basil (italian seasoning), chicken broth, and garlic powder. You can also add some heavy whipping cream if that’s your kind of thing — it’s definitely mine!

(Psst… I’ve got a video for how to make this soup, if you don’t want to read all the words here…)

Making this tomato soup from scratch requires that you roast your tomatoes and onions. On a baking sheet with sides, lay down a piece of parchment paper. Then cut (half or quarter) a bunch of tomatoes. It doesn’t matter what kind of tomatoes you use (slicers, romas, cherries, etc) just make sure they’re cut to about the same size so they roast to the same doneness.

About 3 pounds of tomatoes fits on my baking sheet with enough room for a few big onions.

Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.

Roast at 450 for about 30 minutes. This is usually enough time for them to get roasty. If you want them a little darker or want some char on them you can either roast them longer or you can turn on the broiler for a few minutes.

When you take the pan of roasted tomatoes out of the oven, be careful! There will be liquid in the pan. If you move too quickly, you’ll make a mess and burn yourself.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the roasted tomatoes, onions, and all that liquid you were careful of. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer together for a few minutes.

Next, get out your hand blender/immersion blender. Stick it in the pot of soup and carefully blend it all together. Make sure not to pull the immersion blender too far out of the pot of tomato soup or you will have a mess to clean up. (Ask me how I know!)

If you don’t have an immersion blender you can also pour the soup into a blender or food processor, blend it up until it’s smooth, and then pour back into the pot.

Now it’s time to taste the soup to see what it needs. I generally end up adding more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. This is also the time to add the heavy whipping cream if you want. Then let it simmer for a few more minutes and it’s ready to serve.

Freshly shredded parmesan cheese or a classic grilled cheese sandwich pairs perfectly with this hearty tomato soup from scratch.

To cut the acidity of tomato soup: Some folks suggest adding a bay leaf while the soup is simmering to cut the acidity. Others add a little sugar or honey. Some people say that adding the heavy whipping cream does the trick. If you are sensitive to the acidity of tomato soup from scratch, experiment with what works best for you!

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Tomato Soup from Scratch

Ingredients

• 3 pounds tomatoes
• 2-3 medium onions
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet that has sides.

2. Wash and cut tomatoes (in half, at least). It doesn't matter what kind of tomatoes you use, just make sure the pieces are approximately the same size.

3. Peel and cut the onions. I like to leave them halved or quartered, but other people like to dice them small so they blend in easier.

4. Place the cut tomatoes and onions on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.

5. Roast in oven for 30 minutes at 450. You can finish with the broiler for a few minutes if you like a more charred tomato. Carefully remove from oven (there will be liquid on the baking sheet.)

6. In a pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. After it has come to a boil, add roasted tomatoes and onions. Add garlic powder.

7. Use immersion/hand blender to blend the soup until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour the soup into a regular blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then pour back into the pot.

8. Taste your soup. You may want to add more salt, pepper, and or garlic powder. This is also the time to add the heavy whipping cream if you choose to use it.

9. Simmer a few more minutes and then serve. I like to have mine with freshly grated parmesan cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy!