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! A great choice for both lunch or dinner!
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Let me go ahead and prepare you...this is the best tomato and basil soup I've ever made. It's soup season and I'm loving this new roasted tomato basil soup. 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. 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. The combinations are truly endless. But let me tell you why this tomato basil soup recipe stands out from the rest.
Y'all - 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 You'll Need
This homemade creamy tomato soup uses chicken stock instead of chicken broth. Chicken stock provides a fuller, more rich based flavor. Save the chicken broth for the more broth based soups.
Use a good quality olive oil to saute the chopped onion and garlic. Or, use a flavor infused olive oil, like garlic or rosemary to add more depth to the flavor.
Fresh tomatoes on the vine works really well with this easy tomato basil soup because they are juicy and perfect for roasting. Plum tomatoes are also a good choice because they are known for making the best sauces. I also 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.
Using fresh basil in soup tastes amazing! Fresh basil is a key ingredient that delivers a distinct taste and pairs extremely well with tomatoes. Fresh thyme also provides a bit of warmth and a hint of peppery undertones.
Unsalted butter is best and it helps contribute to the creaminess of this soup. The difference between using unsalted butter vs. salted butter in this soup recipe allows you to manage the salt level.
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Start off by preheating the oven to 400°F. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Baste the tomatoes evenly with a ¼ 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 ½ teaspoon of pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered.
Transfer the soup in small batches to a blender and puree until smooth.
From there, add the pureed soup mixture back to the dutch oven and add in the heavy cream and additional 1 Tablespoon of butter. Set the heat to medium and bring to a low boil.
Lower the heat to medium low 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.
Serve with a crusty piece of baked bread, sourdough bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or a piece of my quick peppery cheese bread.
Tomato Soup Nutrition
In general, tomato soup is really 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. So eat up those cooked tomatoes!
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Storage Instructions: This easy tomato soup should be stored in a container with a tight fitting top in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing and Thawing Instructions: 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.
- Blender Safety with Soups: Anytime you're making hot soup and it needs to be blended let it cool down a bit and then blend it in small 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.
More Soup Recipes
If you're a soup lover like I am, you'll love this Sweet Potato Soup with Butter Beans and my Vegetable Beef Soup. You can also check out my entire collection of Soup Recipes!
Follow Recipes Worth Repeating for more amazing recipes!
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh tomatoes, on the vine
- ¼ 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
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Cut the tomatoes lengthwise and baste evenly with ¼ cup of olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes in the oven. When done, remove the cookie sheet 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 to the dutch oven and saute until the onions are translucent and start to brown, 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 the mixture 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 to medium-low 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.
Notes
- Storage Instructions: This easy tomato soup should be stored in a container with a tight fitting top in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing and Thawing Instructions: 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.
- Blender Safety with Soups: Anytime you're making hot soup and it needs to be blended let it cool down a bit and then blend it in small 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.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published November 22, 2019, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in February 2021.
Kirk Hein
This will make enough soup for 20 people
Amanda Mason
Remember, you can freeze it. And when I serve it for dinner it feeds 8-10 people.
Carol Lynn Fletcher
Amanda, this soup sounds delicious. Do you think I good make a big batch and can it? Could add the cream when I open a jar to cook it. Should it be pressured canned.
Amanda Mason
Hi Carol Lynn! Excellent question. I have some experts in the canning world so I'm researching this with them. Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to canning so I'll get back to you with what they say!
Carol fletcher
Hi Amanda, have you got an answer yet on canning the tomato soup?
Amanda Mason
I haven't yet - BUT my gut is telling me you can can it as long as you leave out the butter and the heavy cream. I'll confirm with you as soon as I hear back. The chicken stock should be fine to go through the canning process. When you're ready to make this soup after canning, add in the butter and cream when warming it on the stove, turn the heat to medium-high so it boils and so the soup can thicken.