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.
Amazing soup!! It is restaurant worthy!
Yay! So glad to hear that! Thanks Ashlin!
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! 🤗
I am about to try this recipe. May I please know how many people is this recipe for?
Hands down the BEST Tomato Basil soup ever. I love it!
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks so much Mary! 🙂
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!
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!
I just made this for dinner and it is amazing! I highly recommend making this soup!
Thanks Debbi!
Can this soup be made day before then reheated
Yes it reheats beautifully!
What’s a good canned substitute for vine ripened tomatoes?
San Marzano!
Can i used canned chopped tomatoes instead of whole ?
This soup was amazing, definitely will make again.
YAY!! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks:)
Hi! Would Vegetable stock be ok to use instead? My friend is vegetarian so I’d rather not use chicken stock.
Yes vegetable stock will work! 🙂