Roasted Tomato Soup with Herb & Garlic Sourdough Croutons
This soup is full of rich and bold flavour thanks to roasted tomatoes and tons of fresh herbs. Flavourful garlic and herb sourdough croutons make the perfect topping and add the crunch that completes this roasted tomato soup.
Whatever the weather, we are firm believers that tomato soup is always welcome. Being winter in Toronto right now, we are more than happy to share this recipe and provide a little warmth to those chilly winter nights. But even in summer, this soup holds its own with the opportunity to use tomatoes and herbs fresh from the garden.
This recipe is so easy to make and great for any level of cooking skills. The simplicity of tossing most of the ingredients on a baking sheet and throwing it in the oven is not only convenient, it adds depth to your soup’s flavour. Being big herb and spice enthusiasts, we put a variety into the recipe because why not??
Some (us) would say the best part of this recipe is the croutons. Made with sourdough – the most superior bread (or really any bread of your choosing, we don’t judge), we’ll be surprised if these flavourful croutons even make it to the soup before they’re all eaten up! Grab a bowl, fill it up high, top with crispy croutons, and enjoy your comforting homemade soup.
Do you enjoy soup all year round, or is it a classic winter staple for you?
Don’t forget to tag us in your creations – @smallkitchenbigplates
Roasted Tomato Soup with Herb & Garlic Sourdough Croutons
This soup is full of rich and bold flavour thanks to roasted tomatoes and tons of fresh herbs. Flavourful garlic and herb sourdough croutons make the perfect topping and add the crunch that completes this roasted tomato soup.
Ingredients
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- 3 lbs tomatoes
- 2 small shallots, halved
- 1 head garlic, halved
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk OR 1/4 cup cashews, soaked for 20 minutes in boiling water *see note
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- More salt and pepper to taste
- Sourdough Croutons
- 2-3 slices sourdough bread, 1/2-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make the soup. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking tray with a silicone mat.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters if they are big or leave whole for cherry and grape tomatoes, slice the shallots in half, slice the garlic in half cross-wise, and place them on the baking tray. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the shallots and garlic and set aside. Continue roasting the tomatoes for another 15-20 minutes until they are soft and charred and then remove from oven. Turn the oven down to 350°F (177°C).
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, basil, thyme, and oregano. Transfer the roasted tomatoes to the pot, including the residual roasting liquid. Add the roasted shallot and squeeze the garlic out of the cloves and add to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and allow the soup to simmer to for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the croutons. Line a baking sheet and rip up or chop the bread into crouton sized pieces and place them on the baking sheet.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and drizzle it onto the croutons along with the tablespoon of olive oil, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway, until they are golden and crispy and then remove from the oven to cool.
- Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender (this might take 2 batches) and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Dish up the soup into bowls and top with the freshly baked croutons and fresh basil.
Notes
- Use any tomatoes you want in the soup. We like to have an array of sizes and varieties depending on what is in season, so mix and match with whatever you like.
- The 1/4 cup of coconut milk does not change the flavour of the soup and make it coconut-y, it is just to add creaminess and cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but you can swap it out for cashews. Soak the cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes and then drain and rinse. Make cashew cream by adding them to a blender with 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Add the cashew cream to the pot with the remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth and the rest of the ingredients.
- For the croutons, slightly stale bread will work best. If you have bread that has been sitting out for a few days or has been in the freezer for a while, both will be great! We recommend sourdough because it’s our favourite and goes so well with soup, but any type of bread will work.
- Fresh basil is pretty essential in this recipe so we don’t recommend substituting it with dried basil. You can get away with dried thyme and oregano if you can’t find fresh, but we really suggest fresh because of the amazing flavour they add.
smallkitchenbigplates 
I honestly can not wait to make this soup. I eat soup every day (Mon-Fri) for lunch. Now I have a new recipe to add. The photos are beautiful!!
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