Roasted Tomato and Carrot Soup With Garlic Croutons
55 min
|
easy
|
lactose-free,
vegan,
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Roasting the tomatoes and carrots until jammy concentrates their sweetness, and with a pinch of smoked paprika and solid veggie broth you get a silky, deeply flavored soup that does not do bland.
Garlic croutons from leftover sourdough bring the crunch and swagger, making this perfect for cozy weeknights or a sleek dinner party starter.
Ingredients (4 servings)
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Ingredients for the Soup:
- 1½ lb ripe tomato, halved tomatoes 1.5 lb ripe
- 3 large carrots, peeled, chopped carrots 0.32 lb large
- 1 medium onion, quartered onion 1 ct medium
- 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled garlic 0.36 head (for garlic clove)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil olive oil
- ½ tsp salt salt
- ½ tsp black pepper black peppercorns (for black pepper)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional) smoked paprika 0.04 oz
- 2 cups vegetable broth vegetable broth 1 lb
- ½ cup water (as needed for thinning) water
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (optional, to balance acidity) granulated sugar
Ingredients for the Garlic Croutons:
- 2 cups artisan sourdough bread, cubed artisan sourdough bread 0.24 lb
- 1½ Tbsp olive oil olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder garlic powder 0.05 oz
- ½ tsp salt salt
How to Make Roasted Tomato and Carrot Soup With Garlic Croutons
-
Preheat and prep the veg
Heat the oven to 425 F and line a large sheet pan with parchment for easy cleanup.
Halve the tomatoes, peel and chop the carrots, quarter the onion, and leave the garlic cloves unpeeled.
Toss everything with olive oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika if using, then spread in a single layer with tomatoes cut side up.
-
Roast until concentrated and tender
Roast 25 to 35 minutes until the carrots are tender, the tomatoes are blistered, and the onion edges are golden.
Stir the carrots and onion once halfway so they brown evenly, and give the tomatoes a few extra minutes if they seem watery.
-
Peel garlic and move everything to the pot
Squeeze the soft garlic from the skins and discard the peels.
Scrape all roasted vegetables and their juices into a pot, then splash a little broth on the hot sheet pan and scrape up the browned bits to add to the pot.
-
Blend with broth to medium chunky
Pour in the vegetable broth and start blending with an immersion blender to a medium chunky texture so you keep some character in every spoonful.
Add water as needed to loosen if it is thicker than you like.
-
Simmer and balance the flavors
Simmer 8 to 10 minutes to marry the flavors and soften any remaining edges.
Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper, a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are sharp, or a tiny splash of water if it is too bold.
-
Make the garlic croutons while the soup cooks
Toss bread cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt until every side is glossy.
Spread on a small sheet pan and toast in the oven for the last 7 to 10 minutes of the vegetable roast or until deep golden and crisp, tossing once.
Alternatively, brown them in a skillet over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often.
-
Serve with crunch on top
Ladle the soup into bowls and crown with a generous handful of croutons right before serving so they keep their crunch.
Finish with a thread of good olive oil and a crack of black pepper, and sprinkle chopped chives or parsley if you have them.
Substitutions
- Sourdough bread -> Baguette or any artisan crusty loaf
- A baguette or rustic country loaf toasts up shatter-crisp with a soft center and gives clean wheaty flavor with slightly less tang than sourdough, so the tomato sweetness takes the lead without losing crunch.
- Smoked paprika -> Sweet paprika plus a pinch of chipotle or cumin
- Sweet paprika keeps the warm red pepper note while a tiny pinch of chipotle powder or ground cumin restores a whisper of smoke, landing you in the same savory, toasty zone.
- Croutons -> Garlic roasted chickpeas for gluten-free
- Toss drained chickpeas with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt, then roast until crisp for a nutty, sturdy crunch that will not sog out in the soup.
Tips
- Roast hot and do not crowd
- High heat concentrates tomato flavor and caramelizes carrot sugars, so give everything space on the pan or use two pans to avoid steaming.
- Preheat the sheet pan
- Slide the empty pan into the oven while it heats so the vegetables sizzle on contact and pick up quick color that deepens flavor.
- Blend with control
- Pulse the immersion blender in short bursts to keep that medium chunky texture, and if using a countertop blender work in small batches with the lid vented and a towel over the opening.
- Layer salt like a pro
- Salt once on the sheet pan and again after blending to dial in clarity, and if the tomatoes taste flat add half a vegetable bouillon cube or a spoon of tomato paste during the simmer for backbone.
- Croutons that stay crisp
- Use day-old bread and let finished croutons cool on a rack so steam does not soften them, then add to bowls at the table, not the pot.
- Do not waste flavor
- Deglaze the roasting pan and add those browned juices to the pot, and if you thin the soup use hot water from steaming vegetables or pasta for extra body.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 480 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 12 | g |
| Total Fat | 13 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 76 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- My soup tastes too acidic, how do I fix it?
- Stir in a pinch of sugar to round it out, simmer 5 more minutes to mellow, or add a tiny pinch of baking soda and let it foam to neutralize sharpness, then retaste and re-season with salt.
- The soup is too thick or too thin, what now?
- Thin with hot water or more broth a little at a time and retaste the salt, or simmer uncovered to reduce to your preferred body, and for extra body you can blend in a spoonful of tomato paste or a handful of cannellini beans.
- I do not have an immersion blender, can I still make this?
- Yes, blend in small batches in a regular blender with the lid vented and a towel over the opening, or mash with a potato masher for a rustic texture if you want to skip the blender entirely.
- Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?
- Use good fire-roasted canned tomatoes, roast the carrots, onion, and garlic as written, then simmer them with the canned tomatoes and blend, and reduce the added liquid slightly since canned tomatoes bring more juice.
- How do I make this ahead and freeze it?
- Cool the soup without croutons, pack in glass containers with headspace, and freeze up to 3 months, then reheat gently and splash in a little water if it tightened up and make fresh croutons for serving.
- My carrots were still firm after roasting, what went wrong?
- Carrots were likely cut too large or crowded, so cut them smaller next time and spread in a single layer, and if they lag behind cover the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes or roast a few minutes longer.
Serving Suggestions
New Yorkers like me serve this with a grilled cheese or a sharp arugula salad and a drizzle of chili oil for a little swagger, plus extra croutons on the side because no one is mad at more crunch.
If you want to play, swirl in a spoon of pesto or a splash of coconut milk for silkiness, or finish with a dusting of Aleppo pepper and lemon zest to make the tomato sweetness pop.
More pairings:
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