Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
There’s something comforting about a bowl of homemade tomato soup, especially with freshly baked sourdough focaccia. My shortcut is roasting the tomatoes, red peppers, onion and garlic all together in my Ninja Foodi DualZone air fryer before blending them into soup.
On my air fryer’s Roast setting at 190°C for about 12 minutes, the vegetables soften and get slightly charred. I usually finish the soup with cream cheese rather than cooking cream — we love cheese in our house!
Why I Love This Soup
- All the vegetables roast together, with no separate onion or garlic sautéing.
- It uses everyday pantry seasonings.
- The tomato-to-pepper ratio is flexible.
- It pairs beautifully with homemade sourdough and can be made ahead for dinner.
Ingredients
Makes approximately 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 25–30 minutes
- 400g tomatoes
- 300g red bell peppers (or up to 300g peppers and enough tomatoes to make 700g combined)
- 50g brown onion
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 30g olive oil or butter
- 70g tomato paste
- 500ml water
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste (start with less, since stock is salty)
- 100g cream cheese, or 100g cooking cream
- A few basil leaves, optional
How to Make Air-Fryer Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
1. Prepare the vegetables
Wash and halve or quarter the tomatoes. Deseed the peppers and cut into large pieces. Roughly cut the onion and peel the garlic. They don’t need to be finely chopped because the soup will be blended.
2. Roast everything together
Put the tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic in an air-fryer-safe tray or basket. If using olive oil, drizzle it over the vegetables. Roast at 190°C for about 12 minutes on my Ninja Foodi DualZone’s Roast setting, until softened and slightly charred. Roast in batches if necessary; time varies by appliance and batch size.
The air fryer I use
My Ninja Foodi DualZone is one of my most-used kitchen appliances. I use it for vegetables, sweet potatoes and reheating sourdough as well as this soup.
Ninja Foodi DualZone model
3. Simmer the soup
Transfer the roasted vegetables and their juices into a saucepan. If using butter instead of olive oil, add it now. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian herb mix and sugar. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two, then add the water and vegetable stock cube. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes.
4. Blend until smooth
Take the saucepan off the heat and blend carefully with an immersion blender until smooth. If using a countertop blender, follow its instructions for hot liquids. Add a splash of water if the soup is too thick.
5. Add the cream cheese
Return to low heat, stir in 100g cream cheese until smooth, then taste and season. You can substitute 100g cooking cream instead. Add basil if you have it.
6. Serve
Serve warm with homemade sourdough focaccia, garlic paprika chicken or a green salad.
My Kitchen Notes & Substitutions
Everything goes in the air fryer
I don’t sauté the onion or garlic separately. Roasting them with the tomatoes and peppers is one less pan to wash!
Use what you have
I usually use up to 300g red peppers, then make up the rest of the 700g vegetable total with tomatoes. I also use my trusty Italian herb mix instead of buying dried oregano just for this recipe.
Why I use cream cheese
The original soup that inspired this version uses cream, but I replace it with the same weight of cream cheese. It’s simply what we enjoy and often have in the fridge. Cooking cream is absolutely fine too.
No air fryer?
Roast the vegetables on a baking tray at approximately 200°C for 20–30 minutes, until softened and lightly charred, then continue with the saucepan steps.
Cooking Once, Eating Twice
I like making enough soup at lunchtime to enjoy again at dinner. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers, within two hours of cooking or within one hour if the surrounding temperature exceeds 32°C. Keep at 4°C or colder and use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. Reheat to 74°C, stirring so the soup heats evenly. If you freeze it, the cream cheese may affect the texture when thawed; stirring gently can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to peel the tomatoes?
No, I blend the skins into the soup. For an extra-smooth finish, strain it after blending.
Can I use cream instead of cream cheese?
Yes, substitute 100g cooking cream for 100g cream cheese.
Can I make it in the oven?
Yes, roast the vegetables at about 200°C until tender and slightly charred before simmering and blending.
Can I freeze the soup?
Yes. For the most consistent texture, freeze it before adding cream cheese and add the cheese after reheating.
More Easy Homemade Meals
For another easy cook-once, eat-twice meal, try my ginger-steamed chicken with bok choy and spring onion sauce. I’m gradually sharing the simple meals, sourdough recipes and kitchen shortcuts I really use at home.
Inspired by a Cookidoo tomato and pepper soup, adapted with my air-fryer roasting method and everyday ingredient substitutions.
