Tomato Basil Soup is savory and hearty. Roasting fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic gives it a rich, deep flavor. 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
Tomato Basil Soup is a family favorite and often requested by my little boys, along with this One Pot Spaghetti. While this recipe isn’t complicated, it’s a bit time-consuming due to roasting the veggies and simmering the soup. Fresh tomatoes and basil add incredible depth of flavor, making it the best Tomato Basil Soup I’ve ever had.
For times when fresh produce isn’t available or when there isn’t enough time to roast the veggies, there’s also a similar recipe for Easy Tomato Soup. Bookmark it for those busy days.
But if you’ve got the time and fresh produce, get ready for a seriously flavorful 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, ripest tomatoes with glossy skin, deep color, and a slight softness. Campari or cocktail tomatoes are my favorites. For canned tomatoes, choose high-quality San Marzano whole tomatoes, which are better than diced or crushed.
- 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 I 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 oven to 400°F. Cut tomatoes in half and chop onions, placing them on a baking sheet. Wrap a whole garlic head (top cut off and drizzled with oil) in foil and add to the tray.
- Roasting: Drizzle tomatoes and onions with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for about 45 minutes until soft and browned.
- Soup Base: In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil, then add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, and fresh basil. Add roasted veggies and squeeze the garlic from its skin. Season to taste.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then simmer without a lid, stirring occasionally.
- Blend: Blend the soup until smooth, being careful of the steam.
- Serve: Serve hot, ideally with 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. I 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
- 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
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Equipment
- Large (15 x 21-inch) sheet pan or two smaller sheet pans
- Aluminum foil
- Large stockpot or large cast-iron pot
- Blender high-powered
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ripe tomatoes I prefer campari/cocktail
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1 head garlic
- 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes undrained (I love Cento San Marzano)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3-1/2 cups fresh basil leaves packed when measured, see note 1
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken stock I prefer Swanson’s
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Hearty buttered bread optional
- Fresh Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and arrange on a large (15×21-inch) sheet pan (or two smaller sheet pans). Quarter the onions and add to the pan(s).
- 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 olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and place on the sheet pan with the tomatoes and onions.
- 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 40–45 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized.
- In a large stockpot or cast iron pot, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until butter melts. Add can of tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring 2–3 minutes. Mix in chicken stock, oregano, optional red pepper flakes, thyme, and fresh basil. Incorporate roasted tomatoes and onions with all their juices. Let 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.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 40 minutes, stirring every 5–10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture in 3–4 batches to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth (see note 2). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If tomatoes are too acidic, add a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
- If desired, serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and hearty buttered bread. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
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.
For canned tomatoes I think Muir Glen is always the best and freshest tasting!
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.
Is there any way to omit butter to make recipe gluten free and dairy free?
Sure; just use olive oil in its place 🙂 Enjoy!
Made this and loved it. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
So happy to hear that! Thanks Christie!
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.
So glad to hear you love this soup! And love your suggestions 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Thank you Marcie!
Thank you Aimee! 🙂
I love the color of this soup! I need to try this soon!
Yum! Definitely adding to my tomato soup board on Pinterest. My non-official to let the world now how much I love tomato soup. 🙂
Thanks so much Melanie! And thanks for the pin 🙂