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A blue dutch oven of smooth roasted tomato soup with fresh tomatoes and parsley on a wooden counter

Freezer-Friendly Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted tomatoes, onions, and a whole head of garlic blended into a deep, sweet soup that freezes for four to six months. Gluten-free and dairy-free as written, with cream, milk or oat milk stirred in when you reheat it.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 to 5 pounds ripe tomatoes halved
  • 2 large onions cut into wedges
  • 1 whole head garlic top sliced off
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp dried basil or a handful of fresh at the end
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste optional, for extra richness
  • 1 tsp sugar or 1 small grated carrot optional, only if the tomatoes are very acidic

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 400F. Line two large sheet pans with parchment.
  2. Halve the tomatoes and spread them cut side up on the pans. Tuck the onion wedges in around them. Slice the top off the head of garlic, set it on the pan, and drizzle everything with the olive oil. Season with the salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme.
  3. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the edges of the tomatoes are dark and collapsed and the onions have color on them. That browning is the whole point, so do not pull them early.
  4. Let the pans cool for a few minutes. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into a large pot and scrape in the tomatoes, onions, and every bit of juice and browned edge from the parchment.
  5. Add the vegetable broth and the tomato paste if you are using it. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  6. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender with the lid vented. Taste, and only if the tomatoes were very acidic, stir in the sugar or the grated carrot.
  7. Serve hot, or cool completely before freezing.

Notes

To freeze: Cool the soup completely first. I ladle it into gallon freezer bags and lay them flat on a sheet pan with a paper towel or a dishtowel between each one so they do not freeze together. Once they are solid you can stack them however you like. It keeps four to six months.
To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm it gently in a pot. It may look separated when it thaws. A whisk brings it right back.
About canning: I have not pressure canned this recipe and I do not encourage it. Tomatoes with onions and garlic blended in are no longer a high enough acid food to be safe in a water bath canner. The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not recommend canning pureed or thickened soups at all. The freezer is how I keep this one.
Dairy: As written this is gluten-free and dairy-free, and it freezes that way. After it thaws, I reheat it in a pot and stir in cream, milk or oat milk to make it creamy. Adding it then instead of before freezing means one batch can go either way, and if you are serving a dairy meal you can add it right at the stove.
Fresh basil: If you have it, tear a handful in after blending rather than roasting it. It stays brighter.