This Tomato Basil Soup is creamy and full of incredible flavor. Made with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil, this homemade soup is easy to make and is the perfect comfort food! Perfect for lunch or dinner!
The Best Ever Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
It’s soup season and I’m loving this new roasted tomato basil soup recipe. Velvety and delicious, you’re going to love every bite. We’re talking comfort food in a bowl! There are so many different variations of tomato soup, like my Creamy White Bean Tomato Soup, but this one is different in that I roasted the tomatoes in the oven and then cooked them on the stove top with fresh herbs. Roasting the tomatoes is key because it enhances the sweetness and when you pair it with fresh basil and a hint of garlic, you get the most amazingly delicious layers of flavor!
Variations of Tomato Soup
There are a ton of ways to make tomato soup. I’ve seen recipes for tomato basil, tomato bisque, creamy roasted tomato, and fire roasted tomato soup. I’ve also seen some versions that include beans, corn, and seafood. And yes, you can also make a vegan and a gluten free version. The combinations are truly endless.
But this version is out of this world delicious with its tomato rich broth simmered with roasted tomatoes and basil. It’s colorful, bright, and full of fresh flavors.
Ingredients
- Use a chicken stock instead of using chicken broth. Chicken stock provides a fuller, more rich based flavor. Save the chicken broth for the more broth based soups.
- The olive oil is used to saute the chopped onion and garlic. The depth of flavor these caramelized ingredients bring strongly contributes to the richness of the soup.
- I prefer to use tomatoes on the vine because they are juicy and perfect for roasting. Plum tomatoes are also good to use because they are known for making the best sauces.
- I add in a large can of whole tomatoes because the bold flavor combines really well with the lighter and bright flavor from the roasted fresh tomatoes.
- A key ingredient, fresh basil delivers a distinct taste and pairs extremely well with tomatoes.
- Fresh thyme provides a bit of warmth to this soup. It also provides a hint of peppery undertones.
- Unsalted butter is best and it helps contribute to the creaminess of this soup.
- The key to making this creamy is using heavy cream. You only need 1/2 cup.
- Salt and Pepper are the best flavor enhancers.
How To Make Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Start off by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Baste the tomatoes evenly with a 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 45 minutes. When done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and set aside.
- In a large dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent and start to caramelize, for about 10 minutes. Pour the can of whole tomatoes with the juice, basil, thyme, roasted tomatoes, and chicken stock into the dutch oven. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered.
- Transfer soup tin batches to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Add the pureed soup mixture back to the dutch oven and add in the heavy cream and 1 Tablespoon of butter. Set the heat to medium and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Once done, ladle the soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds, fresh basil, or sour cream.
Is Tomato Soup Good For You?
This roasted tomato soup calls for heavy cream, which adds more fat. If you want to make a healthier and a no dairy version of tomato basil soup, just leave out the heavy cream and butter. Another way to make this more healthy is to saute the onions and garlic in olive oil instead of adding in 1 Tablespoon of butter. I’ve made these substitutions multiple times and left out the heavy cream and it’s still delicious. Speaking of being good for you, roasted fresh tomatoes have a lot of nutritional benefit. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry advises that heat processing is able to enhance the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing antioxidant activity, as well as the absorption of lycopene by the body[i]. So eat up those cooked tomatoes!
How Long Will Tomato Soup Last?
This soup should be stored in a container with a tight fitting top in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can Tomato Basil Soup Be Frozen?
Typically, I stay away from freezing soups that contain dairy, but this soup recipe is the exception. With only a small amount of heavy cream and a large amount of chicken and pureed tomato base, you can freeze this soup! Once the soup has completely cooled, ladle into a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove the container and let it slowly come back to a liquid state in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
Is Tomato Basil Soup Gluten Free?
A lot of tomato basil soup recipes call for flour, but this version is gluten free.
Blender Safety With Soups
Anytime you’re making hot soup and it needs to be blended, do it in batches. Ladle the hot liquid into the blender and don’t fill it more than half way full. This technique will prevent splatters, overflowing, and burns.
What Does Tomato Soup Go With?
- Crusty baked bread
- Sourdough bread
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Quick Peppery Cheese Bread
More Soup Recipes
If you’re a soup lover like I am, you’ll love these! Check out my collection of Soup Recipes!
I can’t wait to hear how you like this soup! Please make sure to leave me a comment if you make it and tag me @recipesworthrepeating on Instagram and hashtag it #recipesworthrepeating so I can see what you made!
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Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Tomatoes On The Vine
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
- 4 cups fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Cut the tomatoes lengthwise and baste evenly with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 45 minutes in the oven. When done, remove from oven.
- In a large dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent and start to brown, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes with the juice, basil, thyme, roasted tomatoes, and chicken stock to the dutch oven. Add in the salt and pepper and bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered.
- Transfer soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth.
- Add the pureed soup mixture back to the dutch oven and add in the heavy cream and 1 Tablespoon of butter. Set the heat to medium and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Once done, ladle the soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, or sour cream.
Nutrition
References
[i] http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0115589
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