Roasted Tomato Soup with Tarragon

Broiler goes high. Tomatoes go in split-side down. You’ll smell it before it looks done — that’s when you know.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Tomato Soup

Takes 45 minutes total. Most of that’s the oven doing work while you do nothing. Comfort food that doesn’t feel heavy. Tastes like late summer even in February. One pot. Roasting pan, blender, pot. Three things. Cleanup’s fast. Smoked paprika and tarragon do something weird — the soup tastes like itself but better. Can’t explain it. Vegetarian and honestly doesn’t need the cream. Works cold too, if you’re into that.

What You Need for Roasted Tomato Bisque

Nine beefsteak tomatoes. Halved. Seeds out — just scoop them with your thumb. Two shallots. Quartered. Keep some layers attached or they fall apart too early. Three garlic cloves. Don’t peel them. The skin comes off after roasting and it’s easier that way. Three tablespoons olive oil. Good olive oil. Not the expensive kind. Just not the bottom shelf. Smoked paprika. One teaspoon. Regular paprika doesn’t work here. Seven hundred fifty milliliters of vegetable broth. Could be six hundred. Could be eight hundred. Depends how thick you like it. Handful of fresh tarragon. The stems go in the pot. The leaves go on top if you want. Salt and black pepper. Coarse salt if you have it. Splash of coconut milk or heavy cream at the end — optional. The soup’s already good without it.

How to Make Roasted Tomato Bisque

Oven rack goes close to the broiler. High heat. Let it sit for a minute while you prep.

Toss the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, and some black pepper in a bowl. Just mix it until everything’s coated. Dump it on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the tomato halves cut-side up. It matters.

Slide it under the broiler. You’re watching for skins to bubble and blacken in spots. Takes 10 to 12 minutes. Maybe 11. The smell changes — goes from raw tomato to something smoky and sweet. That’s your signal.

Pull it out. Let it cool enough to touch without cursing. Peel the tomato skins off — they slip away like they’re not even attached. The shallots and garlic should be soft all the way through. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin. It just comes out.

How to Get Roasted Tomato Bisque Smooth

Bring your vegetable broth to a gentle simmer in a heavy saucepan. Not a boil. Just barely moving.

Add the roasted tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and the tarragon stems. Let it sit for 15 minutes. The vegetables should fall apart if you stir them. The whole thing smells herbaceous and rich. That’s done.

Pull out the tarragon stems — toss them. Transfer the hot soup to a blender in batches. Pulse it. Don’t puree it smooth. You want some texture. Bits of tomato that you can feel.

Back in the pot. Taste it. Add more salt if it needs it. Pepper too. Add broth if it’s too thick. Add nothing if it’s perfect.

That splash of cream or coconut milk goes in now if you’re doing it. Stir it. Makes the color lighter and the taste smoother. Not necessary.

Roasted Tomato Soup Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t skip the broiler step. Regular roasting doesn’t get the same char. The char is where the smoke comes from.

Seeds out of the tomatoes or the soup gets grainy. Just scoop them.

Tarragon matters. Basil would be fine. Tarragon is better. If you don’t have it, use less of something else.

Cold soup is legitimately good. Tastes like tomato even more. Thin it out a little if you’re serving it cold.

The skins slip off easier if you actually let them cool. Impatience makes them stick.

Smoked paprika changes everything. Regular paprika tastes different. Not bad. Just different. Try it both ways.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Tarragon

By Emma

Prep:

15 min

Cook:

30 min

Total:

45 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 9 large beefsteak tomatoes halved, seeds removed
• 2 medium shallots quartered
• 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 750 ml vegetable broth approximate
• fresh tarragon handful
• salt and black pepper to taste
• optional splash coconut milk or heavy cream

Method

1. 1 Position oven rack close to broiler element. Preheat broiler on high.
2. 2 Toss tomatoes, shallots, garlic cloves, olive oil, smoked paprika and some black pepper in bowl. Spread evenly on rimmed baking sheet.
3. 3 Roast vegetables under broiler 10–12 minutes until skins bubble and blacken in spots. Smell shifts smoky and sweet.
4. 4 Cool slightly; peel tomato skins off—should slip away with little resistance.
5. 5 Discard garlic skins, squeeze softened garlic from cloves.
6. 6 In heavy saucepan, bring vegetable broth to gentle simmer. Add roasted tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and fresh tarragon stems.
7. 7 Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, vegetables should fall apart easily, broth smelling herbaceous and rich.
8. 8 Remove tarragon stems, transfer hot soup in batches to blender. Pulse briefly to keep some texture; avoid pureeing to total smoothness.
9. 9 Return soup to pot, adjust thickness by adding stock if too thick. Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper gradually.
10. 10 Optional: stir in splash of coconut milk or cream for mellow sweetness and texture.
11. 11 Serve hot with crusty bread. Garnish with chopped tarragon or drizzle olive oil if desired.

Nutritional information

Calories

120

Protein

2g

Carbs

10g

Fat

8g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Roasted Tomato Soup

Can I use canned tomatoes instead? Not the same. Canned tomatoes are already cooked. The roasting is the whole point. Doesn’t work as well.

How long does this keep? Four days in the fridge, maybe five. Freezes fine for three months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.

What if I don’t have smoked paprika? Regular paprika works. Tastes less smoky. More straightforward. Won’t ruin it. Just different.

Should I peel the tomatoes or leave the skins on? Peel them. The skins get weird if they’re in the blender. They don’t break down.

Can I make this without the blender? You’d have chunks. Big chunks. It wouldn’t be soup. It would be roasted tomato stew. Could work if that’s what you want.

Is this actually vegetarian? Yeah. No meat anywhere. Just vegetables and broth.