Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato (Printable)

Velvety blend of slow-roasted tomatoes and caramelized garlic enriched with cream for smooth richness.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large yellow onion, wedged
03 - 1 whole garlic bulb

→ Oils and Dairy

04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Liquids

06 - 2 cups vegetable broth

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
08 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
10 - 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

→ Garnish (optional)

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Croutons or toasted bread

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Arrange halved tomatoes and onion wedges on a baking sheet. Slice the top off the garlic bulb to expose cloves, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil.
03 - Drizzle tomatoes and onions with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly over them.
04 - Roast on the baking sheet for 35 to 40 minutes until tomatoes caramelize and garlic softens.
05 - Allow roasted vegetables to cool slightly, then squeeze garlic cloves from their skins.
06 - Combine roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a blender. Add vegetable broth and blend until smooth, working in batches if needed.
07 - Pour puree into a large pot. Stir in heavy cream and smoked paprika if using. Taste and add sugar if desired to balance acidity.
08 - Heat over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning as needed.
09 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh basil and croutons or toasted bread if preferred.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a restaurant-quality soup but comes together in about an hour with mostly hands-off roasting time.
  • The slow-roasted garlic becomes so mild and buttery that even people who usually avoid garlic find themselves asking for the recipe.
  • One bowl tastes deeply satisfying but won't leave you feeling weighed down, despite all that cream.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step after roasting—trying to squeeze hot garlic cloves will burn your fingers and the peel won't come away cleanly.
  • Adding the cream at the very end and only simmering gently afterward keeps it from breaking or curdling, which completely changes the silky texture you're after.
  • Taste the soup before you finish it, because every batch of tomatoes has different acidity levels and you might need to adjust seasoning more than you'd expect.
03 -
  • Save the roasting pan drippings and drizzle them into the finished soup for extra umami and those caramelized bits that catch on your spoon.
  • If you don't have fresh basil, a small splash of good balsamic vinegar stirred in at the end adds complexity and richness in its place.
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