Home > Soups & Stews > Tomato Basil Soup Tomato Basil Soup February 18, 2020 | 43 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Tomato Basil Soup is savory, hearty, and delicious. We roast garden-fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic until caramelized and tender, creating a rich, deep-flavored base. This tasty homemade soup easily beats canned options. Top this soup with freshly grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread or homemade dinner rolls. Pair it with a simple Italian Salad for a complete meal. Tomato Basil Soup My entire family loves Tomato Basil Soup — in fact, it’s one of the most commonly requested meals (along with this One Pot Spaghetti) by my little boys. While this recipe isn’t complicated, it isa bit time consuming between the roasting of veggies and simmering of the soup. This recipe calls for fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, which add an incredible depth of flavor. Truly, it is the best Tomato Basil Soup I’ve ever had. Since we love this soup so much, I created a similar tomato soup recipe for when we didn’t have access to fresh produce (or for when I’m short on time and can’t roast the veggies). If you find yourself in a similar boat sometimes, bookmark this recipe for Easy Tomato Soup for those busy times. But if you’ve got the time and some fresh produce, be prepared for a seriously flavorful Tomato Basil Soup! Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients Since this soup has few ingredients and not many spices, the quality of each ingredient is important to the taste. Here are some tips for choosing ingredients: Use the freshest and ripest possible tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes should have a glossy, slightly shiny skin that is fairly deep in color. A ripe tomato will slightly give to the touch — it shouldn’t be soft, but a little bit tender. And finally, ripe tomatoes will give off a nice smell. My personal favorite tomato to use are Campari/cocktail tomatoes. Pick good-quality canned tomatoes. In addition to the fresh tomatoes, we also use one can of whole tomatoes. I highly recommend San Marzano whole tomatoes in this soup. Whole canned tomatoes are higher quality than diced or crushed (these products are made from bits of lower-quality tomatoes). Use high-quality chicken stock like Swanson® for great flavor with fewer spices. For a vegetarian version, choose vegetable stock instead. Add lots of fresh basil for the best flavor and sweetness—dried basil won’t work as well. Use garden-fresh basil if available, or buy small packets from the grocery store. Drizzle the veggies in extra virgin olive oil. The better your olive oil, the better the flavor of this Tomato Basil Soup will be. And, while not technically an ingredient in this soup, don’t underestimate the addition of good, crusty baguette to dip in this soup! No Heavy Cream? The base of this soup is roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Then we add in even more tomatoes, herbs, and chicken stock. So, this recipe does not call for heavy cream, milk, or cheese. Even without these additions, you’ll be amazed just how creamy, thick, and hearty this soup is! That said, any of those ingredients are easy to add if you prefer your tomato basil soup a little richer. A drizzle of heavy cream can be added as a garnish for soup bowls and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on individual bowls adds a nice touch. How To Make Tomato Basil Soup Prepare Ingredients: Heat your oven to 400°F. Cut tomatoes in half and chop onions, placing them on a baking sheet. Wrap a whole garlic head, with the top cut off and drizzled with oil, in foil and put it on the tray. The riper the tomatoes, the sweeter your soup will be. Roasting: Drizzle tomatoes and onions with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast until they’re soft and browned, about 45 minutes. Roasting brings out more flavor from the veggies. Soup Base: In a big pot, melt some butter with olive oil, then add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, and fresh basil. Add your roasted veggies and the garlic squeezed from its skin. Add seasonings to taste. Simmer: Boil everything once, then let it simmer without a lid, stirring now and then. Blend: After cooking, blend the soup until it’s smooth. Blend slowly and be careful of the steam. Serve: Serve the soup hot, ideally with some fresh Parmesan and bread. Tomato Basil Soup Tips Add a pinch of sugar. Depending on the ripeness of tomatoes and the quality of canned tomatoes used, you may need to balance the tomato acidity with a little bit of sugar. Don’t skimp on the seasonings! This recipe uses quite a bit of salt and pepper because they really help bring out the soup’s flavors. Blend in batches. When blending hot soup, start on a low setting and gradually increase speed to prevent splashes. Secure the lid tightly or cover it with a folded towel to manage steam safely. For a smoother texture, blend the soup in batches; if you prefer it chunkier, use an immersion blender instead. Add garlic to preference. We love lots of roasted garlic in this soup, so I recommend a good amount. If you are sensitive to garlic, add cloves slowly and to taste preference. Remember, you can always add more at the end if you’d like more flavor. STORAGE Storage How to reheat: Add Tomato Basil Soup to a small pot and heat over low heat until hot. Or reheat in the microwave–make sure to cover it so it doesn’t splatter! This soup stores nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days. It will freeze well for up to 3 months. Here are some best methods for thawing frozen soup. What To Serve With Tomato Basil Soup: Cornbread Muffins ready in minutes with simple ingredients The very best Grilled Cheese Caesar Salad with homemade caesar dressing French Bread with a delicious crusty outside Tuna Melts ready in 15 minutes FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Roasted Tomato Basil Soup 5 from 19 votes - Review this recipe Tomato Basil Soup is savory, hearty, and delicious. We roast garden-fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic until caramelized and tender, creating a rich, deep-flavored base. This tasty homemade soup easily beats canned options. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Roasted Tomato Basil Soup 5 from 19 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Tomato Basil Soup is savory, hearty, and delicious. We roast garden-fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic until caramelized and tender, creating a rich, deep-flavored base. This tasty homemade soup easily beats canned options. Course Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup Cuisine American Keyword Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Cook Time 2 hours hours Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes Servings 8 large bowls Chelsea Lords Calories 271kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $12.20 Ingredients▢ 3 pounds ripe tomatoes I prefer campari/cocktail▢ 2 large yellow onions▢ 1 head garlic▢ 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons good quality olive oil, divided▢ Fine sea salt and pepper▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 1 (28 oz.) canned whole tomatoes, undrained (I love Cento San Marzano)▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste▢ 3 and 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed when measured Note 1▢ 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme▢ 1 carton (32 oz.) chicken stock I prefer Swanson's▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano▢ 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional▢ Optional: crusty bread, fresh Parmesan cheeseUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsTOMATO AND ONION PREP: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and arrange on a large (15x21-inch) or two smaller sheet pans. Quarter the onions and add to the pans.GARLIC PREP: Peel the outer layers of the garlic bulb, leaving the clove skins intact. Cut off 1/4 inch from the top of the cloves, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and place on the sheet pan with the tomatoes and onions.ROAST: Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil over the tomatoes and onions, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss to coat, and spread in an even layer. Roast for 40-45 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized. SOUP BASE: In a large stockpot or cast iron pot, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the can of tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the chicken stock, oregano, optional red pepper flakes, thyme, and fresh basil. Incorporate the roasted tomatoes and onions with all their juices. Let the garlic cool slightly, then squeeze out the cloves from their skins and add 6-9 cloves to the soup, depending on your taste. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, or adjust to taste.SIMMER: Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes.BLEND: Transfer the mixture in 3-4 batches to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. (Note 2.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If the tomatoes are too acidic, add a teaspoon of white sugar. SERVE: If desired, serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and crusty bread. Enjoy! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Basil: If buying the packets of basil at the grocery store, this comes out to 4 full packets (3/4 ounce each). Note 2: Blending: Secure the blender lid tightly and use the "soup" or "hot" cycle. Increase speed gradually to prevent overflow due to heat expansion and carefully remove the lid to release steam. If your blender lacks this setting, cover it with a folded towel for safety. For a chunkier soup, use an immersion blender, chopping the roasted onions and garlic coarsely before adding them to the pot. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 1133mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 7198IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 5mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Yum! Definitely adding to my tomato soup board on Pinterest. My non-official to let the world now how much I love tomato soup. 🙂 Reply
I love this recipe! I’ve made it before, and am making it tonight for a dinner party. Never skimp on the garlic. I add extra because garlic is a very complimentary flavor to basil and tomatoes. Thanks again for sharing this recipe. Reply
Wow! A thoughtful recipe. Roasting the tomatoes and onions adds a very nice smoky flavor to the soup. Wrapping the garlic is one intelligent tip that I really needed. Thanks for the recipe. Reply
I live in the northeast, where you can only get ‘fresh’ tomatoes from the grocery store (read: not what I would call fresh) this time of year, unless (unlike me) you canned them over the summer. Do you have any suggestions for making these store bought tomatoes taste fresh? I’d like to make this soup! Thank you. Reply
Oh my goodness, this really is the BEST! I made it last night for dinner to use up my garden tomatoes and basil before the weather turns and zaps them! I’m glad I had plenty of both, because it really does take a lot–so it’s perfect if you have an abundance of both you need to use! Roasting the vegetables really does give it a great depth of flavor that is missing in other homemade tomato soups I’ve made, and is worth the time! I made this in the afternoon because it’s easier for me to prep dinner then, instead of when things are extra busy in the evening with homework and kids’ activities. I simmered it for 30-40 minutes, then turned the heat off and put a lid on the pot and just left it there on the stove. Three hours later, I ladled it into my blender, and it was still hot, but not steaming, which made blending it easier and safer. We could have eaten it right then and it would have been the perfect temperature for my kids (warm but not hot), but I put it back on the stove to heat a bit more while I made some toasted cheese bread to go with it. I also stirred in a little cream, just because I had maybe 4-5 T. left that needed to be used up and I hate to waste it! I left about half of the soup out to freeze before I put the cream in, and after tasting both, decided if I had a little cream or half-n-half next time I make it, I would definitely add it. It’s great without (and better for you!), but I love the smoother texture and milder flavor the cream adds. In fact, next time I will leave out the red pepper flakes. I know a lot of people like a little spice in their tomato soup, but not me! The cream helped lessen that. Other changes I made that seemed to be just fine–didn’t have fresh thyme so added 1/2 tsp. dried, and used 2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes instead of the 28 oz. can plum tomatoes. I just had a bowl for lunch while I write this. It is still so good! I’m glad it makes a lot so I was able to freeze some! Thanks for another great recipe, Chelsea! Reply
Hi! Would Vegetable stock be ok to use instead? My friend is vegetarian so I’d rather not use chicken stock. Reply
Hi Chelsea, great recipe can’t wait to make it today! My question is this. I have a box of fresh ripe Roma tomatoes that I received 2 days ago. Could I use these with the 28 oz can of plum tomatoes? And about how many would you recommend? Not sure how many equals 3 lbs. Thanks! Reply
Thanks Yolanda! I hope you love it! I’m not sure how large your Roma tomatoes are, so if you have a food scale I’d use that to measure! If not, I’d recommend this chart to guess the correct amount: https://www.thespruceeats.com/tomato-equivalents-1807482 (4 large Roma tomatoes = 1 pound) Hope you love the soup! Reply
Yes I have made it a hundred times. Busy with it now. I always add 1 t sugar and cream at the end. Best soup ever.. O and lots of chillies. Thank you! 🤗 Reply
Have you or any of your followers used ghee to replace the unsalted butter? If so, curious what difference it made in taste, flavor, consistency, etc? Thank you and look forward to making this recipe. Reply
My FAVORITE tomato soup recipe of all time!!! So delicious, creamy (without using cream), and FRESH. Not too heavy with creams, etc. I feel sick after eating a soup made with heavy cream. I love to add a roasted red pepper as well, but don’t change anything else, it’s perfect! Pair with a cheddar, Gruyère, basil grilled cheese—YUM. Reply
I am going to make this tonight but I am going to add cheese tortolini’s as well. I was curious if you have played around with this to make it a creamy tom basil soup by using heavy cream? Reply
That sounds amazing! I can’t wait to hear how it went! I do have a tomato soup recipe on my blog with heavy cream if you want to check it out: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/tomato-soup/! Reply
I use all fresh tomatoes for this. Instead of canned tomatoes and paste, I scald and skin romas and chop them. So so good. I grow my own garlic and basil, so a great way to use my own produce! Reply
I made this yesterday and it is delicious. I did find an error I thought you should know about. Next to keyword it says Crockpot tom. basil soup??? Reply
