Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

This soup often starts with whatever cherry tomatoes I have left at the end of the week. When they go into the oven, they soften and keep their juices instead of drying out, which is why I like using them for soup. They come out sweet, concentrated, and full of flavor, without needing much else.

I usually make this on an ordinary evening, when dinner needs to be simple and comforting. A tray in the oven, a pot on the stove, and something warm on the table not long after. It fits easily into a family dinner, especially with some bread or a grilled cheese on the side, and it’s the kind of soup everyone quietly enjoys without much discussion.

Ingredients

• About 750 g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 medium onion, cut into thick wedges

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• Black pepper

• 500–600 ml warm vegetable stock or water

Optional for serving

• Extra olive oil

• Cream

• Fresh herbs

Instructions

Roasting the vegetables

Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Arrange the cherry tomatoes cut side up on a lined baking tray. Add the onion wedges and whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and gently toss everything together without pressing the tomatoes into the tray.

Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed and look juicy, the onions are soft with lightly caramelized edges, and the garlic is golden and fragrant.

Blending the soup

Transfer everything from the tray into a blender or a pot if using a hand blender, including all the roasting juices and oil. Add about 500 ml of warm stock or water and blend until smooth. Add more liquid gradually until you reach a consistency you like.

Warming and adjusting

Pour the soup into a pot and warm gently. Taste and adjust seasoning. If the soup tastes very sweet, add a small splash of lemon juice or vinegar to bring it back into balance.

For a very smooth texture, you can pass the soup through a sieve, but this is optional and not necessary for a comforting home-style result.

Tips

• Roasting is essential for depth and sweetness, boiling cherry tomatoes directly will not give the same result.

• Leaving the garlic whole prevents it from burning and keeps the flavor mellow.

• The soup thickens as it cools, so loosen it with a bit of stock or water when reheating.

Storage

Store the soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw gently and stir before reheating.