Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup

By Kayla Hoang

Updated July 8, 2026

  • Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
50 min
Rating
4(5)
Comments
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In this twist on classic tomato soup, Calabrian chiles turn up the heat and the oven does most of the  heavy lifting in creating a flavorful base. Roasting fresh tomatoes concentrates their natural flavors, which makes the method  an excellent way to use up any forgotten, bruised or out of season tomatoes. Oil-packed chiles add complex flavor and zippy spice,while a splash of heavy cream lends body and balances the heat. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with a smaller amount of chiles as you can always add more when blending or as a garnish. Each spoonful should warm (but not burn) the back of your throat, then settle before the next bite.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 pounds medium to large tomatoes, cut into eighths

  • 1 medium yellow onion (about 7 ounces), cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 

  • 1 to 2 whole oil-packed Calabrian chiles (stems removed), plus 1 teaspoon of the oil (or ½ to 1 tablespoon chopped Calabrian chiles in oil), plus more for serving (see Tip)

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste 

  • 5 teaspoons olive oil 

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper 

  • ½ teaspoon dried basil

  • 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 

  • ½ teaspoon sugar (see Tip) 

  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

20 grams carbs; 13 milligrams cholesterol; 184 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 885 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, Calabrian chiles and oil, tomato paste, olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and dried basil. Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated with the oil and tomato paste. 

  2. Step 2

    Place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and the juices have been released and start to bubble and thicken around the sides of the pot, 25 to 30 minutes total (including the oven heating), stirring halfway through. 

  3. Step 3

    Transfer the pot to a burner over high heat and stir in the broth and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until a fork easily pierces the vegetables, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. 

  4. Step 4

    Use a blender (working in batches as needed) or immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Serve warm with a drizzle of cream or Calabrian chile oil, if desired. 

Tips

  • The soup gets a lot of flavor from the Calabrian chile, but if needed, you can substitute with ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper plus 1 teaspoon olive oil. After blending, stir in 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons lemon juice until the soup tastes bright.

  • If the soup tastes too acidic for your liking, you can balance it with a pinch or two more sugar. Use sparingly.

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Ratings

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Comments

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CMA

Made this according to directions… not particularly good. There were too many seeds and particulates from the chilis, the amount of the chicken broth was way too much so that the soup was watery. Also just diluted the flavor so that it was spicy but bland. For the left overs I added a cup of milk, and am hoping that sitting in the fridge overnight will intensify the flavor….woulnd’t put this in the rotation as is.

Carol

I cannot find the Calabrian peppers in whole form only chopped. How much should I use of the chopped?

Bonnie

Does anyone think that replacing the cream with full-fat yogurt would work in this recipe?

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