Creamy Tomato Roasted Garlic (Printable)

Velvety blend of roasted garlic and ripe tomatoes with cream for rich, comforting warmth.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large yellow onion, chopped
03 - 1 carrot, peeled and diced
04 - 1 celery stalk, diced
05 - 1 head garlic, top sliced off

→ Fats & Liquids

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
07 - 3 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp salt, or to taste
10 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Fresh basil leaves
14 - Drizzle of olive oil or extra cream

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange tomatoes cut side up and the sliced garlic head on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until tomatoes soften and garlic turns golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly.
02 - Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, diced carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and aromatic.
03 - Extract the roasted garlic cloves from their skins and add them to the pot. Add the roasted tomatoes with their juices, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes if using.
04 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to meld flavors.
05 - Remove the pot from heat and blend the mixture to a smooth consistency using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender, allowing to cool slightly before blending if needed.
06 - Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir in the heavy cream, and gently reheat without boiling. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle the warm bisque into bowls and garnish with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil or additional cream if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic melts into the cream so completely that people can't quite identify what makes it taste so good—it's the best kind of secret ingredient.
  • It comes together in under an hour and somehow tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • It's elegant enough for guests but honestly just as satisfying eaten alone with crusty bread and zero apologies.
02 -
  • The roasted garlic and tomatoes are non-negotiable—raw garlic will make this taste harsh and wrong, and you'll know immediately that something went missing.
  • Once you add the cream, stop raising the temperature aggressively or it will break and look grainy instead of silky, which changes everything.
  • The soup gets even better the next day because all those flavors had time to actually become friends.
03 -
  • Don't blend it until it's cool enough to handle safely, or let the steam escape between batches—a blender full of hot soup is a kitchen disaster waiting to happen.
  • Taste it before you serve it, because the moment to adjust the seasoning is before it hits the bowl, not after.

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