Yes, you can make soup in an air fryer - but the clever part is that you don't pour liquid straight into the air fryer basket. Instead, the air fryer quickly roasts the vegetables until they are soft, sweet and slightly charred, then you blend them with stock to make a smooth and flavour-packed air fryer soup.
This air fryer soup is my tomato and red pepper version, made with fresh tomatoes, carrots, onion and plenty of garlic. It takes around 30 minutes from start to finish, with only about 5 minutes of hands-on prep.
I love this method when I want a proper homemade soup but don't want a saucepan bubbling away on the hob or the oven on for ages. I can get the vegetables cooking, clear the chopping board and get on with everything else while the air fryer does the roasting.
It's especially useful on busy days when I want something homemade without having to keep checking a saucepan.
The result is an easy air fryer tomato soup that tastes rich and roasted, but is still light and vegetable-packed. It is naturally creamy without needing cream, easy to adapt and can be vegan and gluten-free when you use a suitable stock.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 14 April 2024 and was fully retested in October 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
For some more tomato soup recipes, try our high protein tomato soup, slow cooker tomato soup or our tomato soup made with tinned tomatoes.
Can You Really Make Soup in the Air Fryer?
Yes! Making soup in an air fryer is a little different from making soup in a saucepan.
You aren't filling the air fryer basket with stock. Instead, you use the air fryer for what it does really well: roasting the vegetables quickly and intensifying their flavour.
Once the tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, onion and garlic are soft and lightly caramelised, they are transferred to a blender and combined with vegetable stock.
It gives you the flavour of roasted vegetable soup without having to roast a tray of vegetables in the oven first.
One important point: never pour liquid soup directly into the air fryer basket. If you want to use a liner or an oven-safe dish inside your air fryer, always check the instructions for your particular model.
I make this in my Ninja Foodi Max Dual, but air fryers vary, so check the vegetables towards the end of the cooking time the first time you make it.
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Jump to:
- Can You Really Make Soup in the Air Fryer?
- Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Soup
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Variations
- How to Make Air Fryer Soup
- How To Get Smooth and Creamy Air Fryer Tomato Soup
- What To Serve with Air Fryer Tomato Soup
- Air Fryer Tomato Soup Storage
- Can You Reheat Soup in an Air Fryer
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Soup Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Soup
- It's a genuinely different way to make soup. If you've ever searched "can you make soup in an air fryer?", this recipe shows exactly how it works.
- It's quick. The vegetables cook in around 25 minutes and the whole air fryer soup recipe is ready in about half an hour.
- There is very little hands-on cooking. Once the vegetables are in the air fryer, there is no saucepan to stand over and stir.
- The flavour is fantastic. Air frying gives the tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic those slightly charred, roasted edges that add far more flavour than simply boiling the vegetables.
- It's perfect for using up vegetables. Tomatoes that are a little past their best are ideal here because roasting brings out their natural sweetness.
Recipe Overview
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 25 minutes
- Serves: 2
- Cooking temperature: 200°C/400°F
- How it works: Air fry the vegetables until soft and lightly charred, then blend with vegetable stock until smooth.
- Best for: A quick lunch, using up fresh tomatoes or making homemade soup without standing over a saucepan.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes make up the base of this air fryer tomato soup. Choose ripe tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and have a little give without being mushy.
Standard tomatoes work well, or you can use plum tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes can also be used, although they may roast more quickly because they are smaller.
This is also a brilliant recipe for tomatoes that have become slightly soft and need using up. - Garlic - We like plenty of garlic in this soup because roasting mellows it and makes it wonderfully sweet. If you are short on time, frozen crushed garlic can work too, although whole roasted cloves give the best flavour.
- Onion - I use a small brown onion. Shallots would also work and give the soup an even sweeter flavour.
- Red pepper - Red bell pepper adds sweetness and gives the soup its rich colour. An orange or yellow pepper would also work, although the finished colour will be slightly different.
- Olive oil - You only need a tablespoon of olive oil to lightly coat the vegetables and help them roast.
- Salt and Pepper - Season the vegetables before cooking, then taste the finished soup and adjust again after blending.
- Carrots - Carrots add more natural sweetness and help give the soup a thicker, creamier texture without adding cream. Cut them smaller than the tomatoes and pepper, as carrots take longer to soften.
- Stock - Use a good-quality vegetable stock. If you need the finished soup to be vegan or gluten-free, check the label on your stock as ingredients vary between brands.
You could use chicken stock, which would have a richer flavour.
Variations
Vegetables - Courgette (zucchini), cauliflower, sweet potato, butternut squash and chickpeas can all work well with the roasted vegetable method.
Bear in mind that denser vegetables such as squash and sweet potato can take longer to soften, so cooking times may need adjusting.
Herbs - For some extra flavour, you can add some dried herbs. Dried basil or oregano work well, but you could use an Italian seasoning blend too.
Creamy - The soup is naturally creamy when blended, but you can stir in a little single cream, light cream or crème fraîche at the end if you want something richer. A little grated Parmesan is also delicious.
Spicy - Add dried chilli flakes before air frying, or sprinkle them over individual bowls before serving. Smoked paprika is also delicious if you want an even smokier flavour.
How to Make Air Fryer Soup
- Prepare the vegetables: Put the tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, onion and garlic into a large bowl.
Try to cut the vegetables so they cook at roughly the same speed. The carrots should be smaller than the softer tomatoes and peppers.
- Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss everything together so that the vegetables are lightly coated.
- Put the vegetables in the air fryer: Add the vegetables to your air fryer.
If you use parchment paper or a reusable liner, make sure it is suitable for your particular air fryer and is properly weighed down by the food. Never put loose parchment into an empty preheating air fryer.
An oven-safe dish that comfortably fits inside your air fryer is another option if you prefer to catch all the tomato juices.
Avoid packing the basket too tightly. The hot air needs room to circulate around the vegetables so they roast rather than simply steam.
If you double the recipe, you may need to cook the vegetables in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry until soft and roasted: Cook on the Air Fry setting at 200°C/400°F for around 25 minutes, stirring or rearranging the vegetables halfway through.
Start checking them towards the end of the cooking time, as air fryer models vary.
They are ready when the carrots are tender and the tomatoes, onion and pepper are soft with some browned or lightly charred edges.
- Blend with stock: Transfer the roasted vegetables and all those lovely cooking juices to a blender. Add the vegetable stock and blend until smooth.
If you prefer a thicker soup, add most of the stock first and then add the rest gradually until the soup reaches the consistency you like.
Always follow the instructions for your blender when blending hot ingredients. If your blender is not designed for hot food, let the roasted vegetables cool slightly before blending and reheat the soup afterwards.
- Check the soup: Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
How To Get Smooth and Creamy Air Fryer Tomato Soup
You don't need cream to make this soup feel creamy. The roasted pepper and carrots give it plenty of body, and blending everything thoroughly turns it silky and smooth.
For the smoothest soup, a high-powered jug blender works best. You can also use a stick or immersion blender, although the finished texture may be slightly more rustic.
If your soup is too thick, blend in a little more stock. If it is too thin, use less stock next time or gently heat it on the hob for a few minutes to reduce slightly.
If the soup tastes a little flat, it will usually need more salt, pepper or acidity rather than more cooking. A small splash of balsamic vinegar can work really well with tomatoes.
For an even stronger tomato flavour, blend in a little tomato puree (tomato paste).
If your tomatoes are quite acidic, a small pinch of sugar can help balance them.
What To Serve with Air Fryer Tomato Soup
Soup and bread is difficult to beat, and the air fryer can help with the side dish too.
Our air fryer croutons are brilliant scattered over the top because they add some crunch without needing to turn the oven on.
For the ultimate comfort-food combination, serve this air fryer tomato soup with an air fryer cheese toastie. Tomato soup and grilled cheese were made for each other.
A couple of slices of warm crusty bread are perfect for a quick lunch, or serve the soup with homemade flatbreads or focaccia if you want something more substantial.
I also like adding a little fresh basil, cracked black pepper or a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.
Air Fryer Tomato Soup Storage
Store: Let the soup cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Once completely cooled, portion the soup into freezer-safe containers or bags. Freezing individual portions makes it much easier to take out only what you need.
Defrost: Defrost frozen soup overnight in the fridge. Do not leave homemade soup sitting at room temperature for several hours to defrost.
Reheat: Reheat the soup on the hob, stirring regularly, or in the microwave until it is steaming hot all the way through.
Can You Reheat Soup in an Air Fryer
You should never pour soup directly into an air fryer basket.
Some air fryers can heat food in an oven-safe bowl or dish that fits securely inside the appliance, but whether that is suitable depends on your particular model and manufacturer's instructions.
For finished soup, I find the hob or microwave much simpler and quicker.
The air fryer is at its best in this recipe for roasting the vegetables that create the soup rather than heating the liquid itself.
Dannii's Top Tips
- This recipe is a great way to use up tomatoes that are a little past their best. So don't worry if they are a little bit squishy.
- If you want to save on some washing up, you can add the ingredients into one of these air fryer baskets.
- Check that your blender is suitable for hot ingredients. If it isn't, let the roasted vegetables and stock cool slightly before blending, then reheat the soup afterwards.
- For an extra tomato boost of flavour, blend some tomato puree (paste) with everything else.
- You could add a small pinch of sugar if your tomatoes are particularly acidic.
- We blend our soup until it is smooth. However, you could just pulse it a little bit with the stick blender and leave some chunks in it.
- If you want to add a kick of heat to this, then add some red chilli flakes either whilst cooking or sprinkled on top before serving.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| My vegetables aren't soft after 25 minutes | Air fryers vary significantly. Cook for another few minutes and check again. Also make sure the basket isn't overcrowded, as tightly packed vegetables will steam rather than roast efficiently. |
| My soup isn't hot after blending | This can happen if the stock was cold or you allowed the vegetables to cool before blending. Simply transfer the soup to a saucepan and heat gently until steaming hot, or heat individual portions in the microwave. |
| My soup is too thick | Blend in additional stock a little at a time. |
| My soup is too thin | Use slightly less stock, or gently simmer the finished soup for a few minutes to reduce it. |
| My tomato soup tastes bitter or acidic | The flavour of fresh tomatoes varies enormously. A small pinch of sugar can balance an acidic batch, while a little tomato puree can give the finished soup a deeper tomato flavour. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The easiest way is to air fry the vegetables first, then blend them with stock. You should not pour liquid stock directly into a standard air fryer basket.
Yes. I make this recipe in a Ninja Foodi Max Dual. Other Ninja models and other brands will work too, although cooking times can vary slightly depending on the size and power of your air fryer.
You can use the air fryer to cook and roast the ingredients for soup. This method works particularly well for tomato and vegetable soups because roasting concentrates their flavour before they are blended with stock.
Don't pour liquid soup straight into the air fryer basket. If your air fryer manufacturer allows oven-safe dishes, a suitable dish can sometimes be used for heating food, but for this recipe the liquid is added after the vegetables leave the air fryer.
Follow the instructions for your particular air fryer. Some models recommend preheating and others don't require it for this type of recipe.
Yes. You can make the entire soup ahead and keep it chilled until needed. Another useful option is to air fry the vegetables ahead of time and store them in the fridge, then blend them with stock when you are ready to eat.
Yes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and stock to a saucepan or deep heat-safe container and blend with a stick blender. The texture may not be quite as smooth as it would be with a powerful jug blender, but it will still taste great.
This recipe can be completely vegan as long as you use a suitable vegetable stock and don't add dairy toppings or cream.
The vegetables themselves are naturally gluten-free. Choose a certified gluten-free stock if you need the finished soup to be gluten-free.
More Soup Recipes
If you've tried this air fryer soup, leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments. I always love hearing what vegetables and flavour combinations people have tried.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Air Fryer Soup (Tomato & Red Pepper)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 Onion - small; peeled and quartered
- 350 g (12 oz) of Tomatoes - halved
- 1 Red bell pepper - deseeded and quartered
- 320 g (11 oz) of Carrots - peeled and diced
- 4 Garlic cloves - peeled
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
- 600 ml (2.5 cups) of Vegetable stock (low salt)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Put the tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, onion and garlic into a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss everything together so that the vegetables are lightly coated.
- Put the vegetables in the air fryer: Add the vegetables to your air fryer.
- Air fry until soft and roasted: Cook on the Air Fry setting at 200°C/400°F for around 25 minutes, stirring or rearranging the vegetables halfway through.
- Blend with stock: Transfer the roasted vegetables and all those lovely cooking juices to a blender. Add the vegetable stock and blend until smooth.
- Check the soup: Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is a great way to use up tomatoes that are a little past their best. So don't worry if they are a little bit squishy.
- If you want to save on some washing up, you can add the ingredients into an air fryer basket.
- Check that your blender is suitable for hot ingredients. If it isn't, let the roasted vegetables and stock cool slightly before blending, then reheat the soup afterwards.
- For an extra tomato boost of flavour, blend some tomato puree (paste) with everything else.
- You could add a pinch of sugar to balance out the bitterness of the tomatoes.
- We blend our soup until it is smooth. However, you could just pulse it a little bit with the stick blender and leave some chunks in it.
- If you want to add a kick of heat to this, then add some red chilli flakes either whilst cooking or sprinkled on top before serving.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Dina Troup says
Do the tomato skins blend or will they be noticeable in the sauce? Should you peel them?