This Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Barley is made with sweetened roasted tomatoes, garlic, shallot, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a delicious and comforting soup.
Adding pearl barley gives the soup some heft, making it filling enough for dinner, especially when served with a hearty slice of bread.
I developed this recipe as a way to use the tomatoes in my garden, which I've loved to grow over the last 8 years. I grow lots of varieties of tomatoes from seed. Everything from large heirloom tomatoes, to golden and cherry tomatoes, to tiny spoon tomatoes.
This soup is a great way to use those juicy tomatoes ripening towards the end of summer from your home garden, the farmers market, or when in abundance at the grocery store (which many times you see coming in earlier in the spring too). But it is also warm and comforting in the fall and winter.
I also love to use heirloom and garden tomatoes to make bruschetta in this Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta Recipe or for Pesto Bruschetta Chicken.
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🗒️ A Few Notes
- Roasting Tomatoes: Roasting tomatoes gives them a caramelized, sweet flavor that you would not get by sautéing them.
- Pearl Barley: Pearl barley is a soft and chewy small grain that is satisfying and filling. I’ve found it at various grocery stores around the country, however not consistently. Lately, I tend to buy it on Amazon and keep a small amount in my pantry (a little goes a long way). I love to use it as a better alternative to pasta in dishes like soup.
- Adding Spices: This soup is deliberately kept simple in flavor profile. I wanted the tomatoes and garlic to shine and not be overpowered by additional spices and flavors. Feel free to make it your own by adding extra garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, or black pepper to taste. For an even more decadent soup, add a splash of heavy cream.
- Doubling the Recipe: This recipe truly makes enough for just 4 people. I recommend doubling the recipe that way you have enough for a couple of easy lunches or dinner the next day. Split the tomatoes and heads of garlic between two baking sheets when roasting in the oven. Otherwise, follow the directions as written and just double the ingredients.
🛒 Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make this Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Barley.
- Tomatoes: I use larger tomatoes like heirloom tomatoes, but you could also use Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes. If you don't have access to fresh tomatoes, consider trying this Italian Tomato Lentil Soup, which uses canned crushed tomatoes.
- Garlic: Use a large head of garlic, which is roasted whole along with the tomatoes.
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil, which adds depth of flavor.
- Salt: For seasoning.
- Shallot: Adds flavor without being overpowering.
- Chicken Broth: Use low sodium chicken broth, or substitute vegetable broth. The pearl barley cooks in the soup itself. As it cooks, the barley soaks up the chicken broth and thickens the soup.
- Pearl Barley: Can be ordered online if it is difficult to find in the store.
- Parmesan cheese: I highly recommend grating a block of Parmesan, rather than using pre-grated Parmesan. I like the Trader Joe’s version because it is inexpensive and milder in flavor.
- Sugar: Adds a subtle hint of sweetness and balances acidity. It is only 1 tablespoon, but this is optional and can be omitted. Another alternative is to toss in some sweet cherry tomatoes on the roasting pan, which will add a similar layer of sweetness when blended with the rest of the soup.
- Salt: For bringing out flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 How to Make Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Barley
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make this Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Barley.
Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Step 1. Roast the Tomatoes and Garlic: Add the sliced tomatoes and garlic, with the top of the garlic removed but the peel kept intact, to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Roast in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the garlic with tongs so that it does not burn, and continue roasting the tomatoes on the sheet pan for an additional 5 minutes.
Allow the garlic to cool, then remove the cloves of garlic from the peel.
Tip: I like to use a tiny teaspoon (the actual kind used for tea) to remove the roasted garlic cloves from the head of garlic.
Step 2. Blend the Tomatoes and Garlic: Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic to a blender and puree until smooth.
Tip: If you have an immersion blender, you can add the roasted tomatoes and garlic directly to the pot after sautéing the shallots (Step 3) and blend with the immersion blender.
Step 3. Sauté the Shallot: Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the minced shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Step 4. Simmer: Add the pureed tomato mixture to the pot and stir. Add the chicken stock. Increase the temperature to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the pearl barley and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until the barley is fully cooked. It should be soft and chewy in texture (similar in consistency to al dente pasta).
Step 5. Parmesan, Sugar, and Salt: Once the barley is fully cooked, add the parmesan, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir. Serve warm with toasted whole grain bread.
✏️ Tips for Making Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup
How to Add Sweetness: Rather than adding a small amount of granulated sugar at the end, consider tossing a few cherry or grape tomatoes on the roasting pan with the larger heirloom tomatoes. They will add additional natural sweetness to the soup.
Serving with Bread: I recommend serving this creamy soup with toasted whole grain bread. If you have the capacity, brush slices of bread with olive oil and toast on a baking sheet in the oven on broil for 1-3 minutes. This will add extra depth of flavor, and it's great for dipping in the soup. I love the seeded bread at the bakery at Whole Foods.
Choosing Flavorful Tomatoes: The more flavorful the tomatoes, the more flavorful the roasted tomato soup will be. If possible, choose locally grown, vine ripened fresh tomatoes at the grocery store, from the farmers market, or from your home garden.
🍴How to Serve, Store, and Freeze
- To Serve: Serve this homemade tomato soup recipe with a slice of toasted crusty bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, garlic bread, or dinner rolls. We like to serve this soup after having a small salad first, like this Spanish Salad.
- To Store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- To Freeze: Store in an airtight container or even a gallon sized freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, on low power in the microwave, or gently on the stovetop.
💖 If You're Interested in More Soup Recipes, You May Love These
If you've tried this Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup with Barley or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup with Barley
Ingredients
- 3 lbs heirloom tomatoes
- 1 large head garlic
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- salt for seasoning
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ⅔ cup pearl barley
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F
- Arrange the tomato slices on a baking sheet. Leave the head of garlic unpeeled, but slice off the top of the garlic so that the tops of the cloves of garlic are exposed. Add to the baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with roughly 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.
- Roast the tomatoes and garlic in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the head of garlic carefully with tongs and allow to cool, but leave the tomatoes roasting for another 5 minutes for 35 minutes total.
- Once the garlic has cooled, scoop out the heads of garlic, which should now be quite soft. Add the cloves of garlic and the roasted tomatoes to a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Bring a large pot or Dutch Oven to medium heat (a setting of“4” out of “10” on an electric stove or the equivalent on a gas stove). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the minced shallot. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and soft.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, garlic, and the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the pearl barley and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check to make sure the barley is fully cooked. It should be soft and chewy, but not overly soft or soggy (like the equivalent of al dente pasta).
- Stir in the parmesan, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Notes
- Adding Spices: This soup is deliberately kept simple in flavor profile. I wanted the tomatoes and garlic to shine and to not be overpowered by additional spices and flavors. Feel free to make it your own by adding basil, oregano, or crushed red pepper flakes to taste. For an even more decadent soup, add a little bit of heavy cream.
- Doubling the Recipe: This recipe truly makes enough for just 4 people. I recommend doubling the recipe. That way you have enough for a couple of lunch leftovers or dinner the next day. Split the tomatoes and garlic between two baking sheets when roasting in the oven. Otherwise, follow the directions as written and just double the ingredients.
- Tomatoes: I use heirloom tomatoes, but you could also use Roma or plum tomatoes.
- Pearl Barley: Can be ordered online if it is difficult to find in the store.
- Parmesan cheese: I highly recommend grating a block of Parmesan, rather than using pre-grated Parmesan. I like the Trader Joe’s version because it is inexpensive and milder in flavor.
- Sugar: Adds a subtle hint of sweetness and balances acidity. It is only 1 tablespoon, but this is optional and can be omitted. Another alternative is to toss in some sweet cherry tomatoes on the roasting pan, which will add a similar layer of sweetness when blended with the rest of the soup.
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