If you’re looking for something to do with those farmer’s market tomatoes that you couldn’t resist (I understand—they’re beautiful!), try this delicious, smoky tomato soup. I like to prep the ingredients on the stovetop and in the oven. Then I let the slow cooker finish it off so that it’s ready for dinner. In a hurry? You can add everything back to the stock pot instead of a slow cooker to finish the cooking (simmer for 30-40 minutes). Just blend it all up when it’s hot and the veggies are soft. This soup freezes well, so feel free to make extra, cool it in mason jars, and stick it in the freezer. Reheat this winter to help ward off the winter chill.
12 cups (2880 ml) fresh tomatoes (about 14 large), on the vine or romas, chopped
Olive oil for drizzling
Sea salt to taste
10 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 cups (480 ml) chopped carrots
2 cups (480 ml) chopped celery
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (480 ml) chicken or beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk (optional)
Serves 4
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut out the stem ends. Slice the tomatoes in half, and place them, cut-side up, on the baking sheet.
Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle them with sea salt.
Place the baking sheet in the oven, and roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, and set them aside.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is browned and crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
To the pot with the bacon grease, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pot, and stir.
To a slow cooker, add the roasted tomatoes, cooked veggies, broth, bay leaf, and most of the cooked bacon, reserving some for garnish. Cook the soup on low for 4-6 hours.
When the soup is done, remove and discard the bay leaf.
Purée the soup with an immersion blender. If desired, stir in the coconut milk for a creamy soup, or leave it as is for a traditional consistency.
Serve the soup in bowls topped with the extra bacon crumbles.
More Recipes You'll Love
Roasted Tomato Bacon Soup is tomato soup with the volume turned all the way up. Fresh tomatoes roast at high heat until sweet and jammy, then slow-cook with bacon, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in broth until the whole pot tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
Pro Tips
- Roasting the tomatoes at 450°F for 30 minutes first is non-negotiable — the caramelised edges are where this soup's deep, sweet flavour comes from.
- Render the bacon in the pot and cook the onions, carrots, and celery right in the bacon grease; that fat carries the flavour through the whole soup.
- Cut the stem ends out of the tomatoes before roasting and spread them cut-side up so the exposed faces caramelise instead of steaming.
- The optional cup of coconut milk stirred in at the end gives a creamier, richer body — leave it out for a brighter, more brothy soup.
- Crumble some of the reserved crispy bacon over each bowl and save the rest for another use; the crunch against the smooth soup is essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned tomatoes?
Fresh roasted tomatoes are what make this soup special, but in a pinch, fire-roasted canned tomatoes can stand in. You'll lose some of the roasted sweetness, so taste before seasoning.
Is this tomato soup paleo?
Yes: tomatoes, bacon, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and broth, with optional coconut milk instead of dairy cream. No flour thickeners needed.
How long does it keep?
Up to 5 days in the fridge, and it freezes beautifully for months. The flavours actually deepen after a day of resting together.
Can I make it without a slow cooker?
Yes — after roasting the tomatoes and building the base in a Dutch oven, just simmer everything together on the stovetop for 45 minutes to an hour.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Serves 4 Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Wash and dry the tomatoes.
- Cut out the stem ends.
- Slice the tomatoes in half, and place them, cut-side up, on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, and sprinkle them with sea salt.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven, and roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven, and set them aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is browned and crispy.
- Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. To the pot with the bacon grease, add the onions, carrots, and celery.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pot, and stir. To a slow cooker, add the roasted tomatoes, cooked veggies, broth, bay leaf, and most of the cooked bacon, reserving some for garnish.
- Cook the soup on low for 4-6 hours.
- When the soup is done, remove and discard the bay leaf. Purée the soup with an immersion blender. If desired, stir in the coconut milk for a creamy soup, or leave it as is for a traditional consistency.
- Serve the soup in bowls topped with the extra bacon crumbles.
