Slow Roasted Tomato Orange Soup with Pesto
Every Thursday afternoon, I have a date with my dear friend Mo. We go on a long walk with my dog Grace then we have lunch at a local restaurant. We always get the same thing: split a Southwestern chicken salad and each receives a cup of their amazing slow roasted tomato orange soup with pesto. It’s seriously the BEST soup! I love the zing & sweetness the orange gives to the slow-roasted tomatoes. Topping the soup off with a swirl of pesto and some homemade baked croutons make this soup perfect. My entire family loved this soup. Mo and I devoured the leftovers the next day and we both thought it was delicious.
How to Make Slow-Roasted Tomato Orange Soup with Pesto
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then coat it with cooking spray.
Core the tomatoes. Slice the larger tomatoes in half and leave the small ones whole. Place on the baking sheet, cut side up. Slide the slivers of garlic into the tomato halves. Season with black pepper, dried basil, and dried oregano, to taste. Drizzle the top of the tomatoes with a bit of olive oil.
Place into the oven and roast for 90 minutes then turn the tray. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 90-120 minutes, or until juicy and roasted. Place on the counter to cool then season with sea salt, to taste. Once they are cool, put the tomatoes and their juices into a storage bowl with a lid and place them into the refrigerator until needed.
Coat a small Dutch oven with olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery then place a lid on it. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender; add the minced garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for 1 minute. Add the roasted tomatoes, broth, and orange juice, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 45-60 minutes. Add chopped basil and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, make homemade baked croutons. Click here for the link.
Meanwhile, make homemade pesto. Click here for the link.
Blend the soup using an immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
Side Note: If you want a smoother soup, pour it through a fine strainer. If you are in the mood for a thicker and heartier soup, skip this step.
Ladle soup into serving bowls then drizzle the top with pesto. Add a few homemade baked croutons on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
Slow Roasted Tomatoes:
- 15 miscellaneous tomatoes, cored & halved if large
- 2 large cloves of garlic, cut into slivers
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- Dried basil, to taste
- Dried oregano, to taste
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil, to taste
Soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled & finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- slow simmered tomatoes & their juices
- 4 cups chicken broth **Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
- Juice from 2 oranges
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
For Serving:
- ¼ cup basil, chopped
- Pesto, to taste
- Homemade Croutons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then coat it with cooking spray.
- Core the tomatoes. Slice the larger tomatoes in half and leave the small ones whole. Place on the baking sheet, cut side up. Slide the slivers of garlic into the tomato halves. Season with black pepper, dried basil, and dried oregano, to taste. Drizzle the top of the tomatoes with a bit of olive oil.
- Place into the oven and roast for 90 minutes then turn the tray. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 90-120 minutes, or until juicy and roasted.
- Place on the counter to cool then season with sea salt, to taste. Once they are cool, put the tomatoes and their juices into a storage bowl with a lid and place them into the refrigerator until needed.
- Coat a small Dutch oven with olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery then place a lid on it. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender; add the minced garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, broth, and orange juice, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 45-60 minutes. Add chopped basil and stir to combine.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender until creamy and smooth. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Side Note: If you want a smoother soup, pour it through a fine strainer. If you are in the mood for a thicker and heartier soup, skip this step.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls then drizzle the top with pesto. Add a few homemade baked croutons on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy
Tomato Orange sounds like such an interesting combination- I love it!!
Hi Pam,
Oh my goodness, I can just imagine the yimminess in this soup. How wonderful to be able to recreate it for family and friends.
I sure did miss roasting tomatoes this year. Time didn’t allow a tomato garden this year but next year; look out!!! I did buy some at the Amish stand though. I’ll be roasting them tomorrow.
Thanks so much for sharing, Pam…I’ll be pinning:)
P.S. How much OJ did you add? I LOVE lemon in soups, I’m sure I would love the orange with the tomatoes:)
Sorry I failed to add that part to the recipe. I used the juice of 2 oranges. The citrus really made the soup flavor pop!
Pam
Popping is a good thing, Pam. Thanks!!!
I must be really tired. I thought there was orange juice in this recipe. I love using slow roasted tomatoes in recipes 🙂
Tandy,
You read right – I did add orange juice to this soup & it was fantastic!
I love tomato soup, and this sounds wonderful!
What a lovely looking bowl of soup. With all those tasty ingredients, it must taste delicious.
I love that you used roasted tomato in this soup. It must be very tasty and fresh.
Pinned and stumbled this. I want to do this on a bright blue fall day and serve it with a half a steak sandwich. Perfect combo.
At this time of year, all I crave is tomato soup and grilled cheese! I’m all over this.