Smokey Roasted Tomato Soup

Is anything better on a chilly day than a hot bowl of homemade tomato soup?

Throw a heavy blanket on, grab a bowl of soup (I like to eat it out of a big mug) and curl up in front of a fireplace with a can’t-set-it-down book and you’re good to go.

On a totally unrelated note, I often take my pictures on my balcony. Sometimes it is cold. Sometimes it is very cold. I live in Michigan. Sometimes it is raining.

My neighbors don’t know I’m a food blogger. I’m absolutely sure they think I’m crazy. I was photographing an adult beverage at 10AM the one morning. So they probably think I’m a crazy alcoholic who takes pictures of my drinks.

I’m not. I swear!

I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do when it starts snowing. Which it really hasn’t done much of yet. I’m not complaining!

Anyways….even though I’m a crazy lady who takes food photos outside, I’d suggest eating this soup inside.

But who says you have to listen to me.

If you have to eat anything outside in January…I guess this soup would be a good choice. It will warm you up. Especially if you get heavy-handed with the red pepper flakes like I did. Drink it out a thermos while you’re taking a break from snow-shoeing. Fun!

This soup begins with roasting fresh tomatoes, carrots, onions and garlic with a good dose of olive oil, salt, and pepper. They are roasted and then pureed into delicious goodness.

I could just eat them like that! I love roasted vegetables.

Roasted Tomato Soup
Adapted generously from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
2 small onions, quartered
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
one 15 oz can of whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tablespoons potato flakes (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. On a rimmed backing sheet, toss the vegetables (tomatoes, onions, and carrots) with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Use foil to make a small packet for your garlic. Season this with salt and pepper as well. Place the foil packet on the backing sheet with the other vegetables. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
2. Add the roasted vegetables, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, crushed tomatoes, and broth to a large stockpot and cook over medium low heat until everything is heated and the carrots are tender (if they weren’t from the roasting).
3. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it is smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, I highly recommend you get one. I use mine all the time for smoothies and soups. The one I linked to is the one I have and I love it!). You can use a blender or a food processor too, just be careful and do it in small batches. Stir in potato flakes if you want a thicker soup.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. You could stir some cream in or sprinkle with cheese at this point. Enjoy!

Verdict: Delicious! Way better than the canned stuff.
Husband’s take: He actually never had any of this. I took it over to friend who recently had a baby.
Changes I would make: I went a little crazy with the red pepper flakes. Start with just a little, you can always add more!
Difficulty: Harder than opening a can, but so worth it.

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon.com affiliate link.

Tagged as: roasted, soup, tomato