This is a tomato soup that thinks like a marinara and eats like a soup. Roasted fresh tomatoes for depth, olive oil and butter as co-architects, and cream added on purpose rather than as a last-minute softener. Savory, silky, tomato-forward, and flexible enough to become “your house soup.”
Snapshot
- Implements: rimmed sheet pan; large pot; immersion blender or countertop blender; wooden spoon
- Oven setting: 425°F (218°C) for roasting tomatoes (30–40 minutes)
- Stove setting: medium heat for aromatics and simmering
- Batch size: 4–6 servings
- Total time: about 1 hour 10 minutes (15 minutes active, about 50 minutes mostly hands-off)
Ingredients
For the roast
- 3 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (Roma tomatoes work too, halved lengthwise; cherries are lower effort and roast more evenly)
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed but left whole
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tsp kosher salt
- 1 to 2 whole herb sprigs, such as thyme or rosemary
- Optional: 1 bay leaf, tucked under the tomatoes
For the soup
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots, chopped
- Red pepper flakes, optional
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 to 1½ cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
- Salt, to taste
- Optional: pinch of sugar, only if tomatoes are aggressively acidic
- Fresh basil, torn, for finishing
Method
Roast the tomatoes
Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
Dump the tomatoes onto a sheet pan with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and herb sprigs. Toss everything directly on the pan. Spread just enough that the tomatoes are not stacked. Crowding leads to steaming, which gives you tomato water instead of tomato flavor.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered, collapsed, and browned at the edges, and the pan has sticky, caramelized tomato juices.
Why this matters: Roasting fresh tomatoes concentrates sugars and umami while driving off excess water. This gives the soup backbone so it can support butter and cream later without tasting flat. Whole herbs infuse aroma without turning bitter or grassy when blended.
Build the fat base
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and butter together over medium heat.
Add the onion or shallots and a small pinch of salt. Cook gently until soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. You are aiming for softness, not browning.
Add red pepper flakes if using and cook 30 seconds more.
Why both fats: Butter brings sweetness and roundness that tame tomato acidity. Olive oil keeps the flavor savory and prevents the soup from drifting into dairy soup territory. Together they behave better than either alone.
Combine and blend
Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and all the pan juices to the pot. Remove woody herb stems if you like. Thyme stems can stay if you blend thoroughly.
Add 1 cup of stock or water to start.
Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, just long enough to marry flavors.
Blend until completely smooth using an immersion blender or countertop blender.
Why blend before cream: Blending the tomatoes first gives you a clean base. Cream added after blending integrates into the soup rather than sitting on top or dulling the tomato flavor.
Make it intentionally creamy
Stir in the cream. Return the soup to a gentle simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Adjust thickness with more stock if needed. Season with salt. Taste for acidity. Add a pinch of sugar only if the tomatoes demand it.
Finish with torn basil.
Why cream goes in here: This is the point where cream becomes structural, not decorative. A brief simmer lets the dairy emulsify into the soup, giving body and opacity without overwhelming the tomato flavor.
Notes, swaps, and guardrails
How this soup behaves
- Texture: opaque, silky, spoon-coating but not heavy
- Flavor: roasted tomato first, savory and rounded, lightly creamy
- Personality: closer to a loose marinara than a diner tomato soup
Nerdy options and variations
- More savory depth: Add a parmesan rind during the simmer, then remove before blending. Umami without cheesiness.
- Extra tomato intensity: Stir 1 Tbsp tomato paste into the onion base before adding the roasted tomatoes. Cook it briefly until brick red.
- No cream version: Replace cream with extra butter and olive oil. The soup will still feel rich, just sharper.
- Too thick: Thin with water, not more cream. Cream adds richness, not looseness.
- Too bright: Butter fixes sharpness better than sugar.