Tomato Basil Soup is an easy homemade soup recipe with a rich, roasted, and creamy flavor. A delightfully satisfying soup to enjoy any time.
Canned tomatoes make homemade Tomato Soup and Tomato Bisque super quick and easy. This Soup recipe with fresh tomatoes is a little extra work, but the richer tomato flavor is worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Soup?
- Perfect to serve on its own or can be an appetizer to serve before your big meal.
- Can easily be made ahead of time so all you have to do is reheat it on a busy night.
Sabrina’s Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
There’s nothing quite as cozy and comforting as a big bowl of flavorful tomato soup. It can be made in so many ways too, from the classic pureed tomatoes with light seasonings, to a thinner, broth-like soup loaded with veggies, to a rich bisque with a thick, creamy texture. No matter how you make it though, a beautiful bowl of Tomato Basil Soup is always satisfying. Perfect to warm you up during the winter months and can be eaten all on its own, with some bread, a sandwich, or serve it as a tasty starter to your Holiday meal.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 3 pounds roma tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh basil , thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds.
- Toss with olive oil, salt and white pepper.
- Spread evenly on baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Add the butter to a pan on medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in the flour and whisk well until the flour is cooked for roughly 30 seconds and fully incorporated.
- Add in the broth slowly while whisking.
- Add in the roasted tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar.
- Lower the heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until completely smooth.
- Add in the cream and basil and let cook for an additional 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with crispy crostini rubbed with a garlic clove and drizzled with olive oil.
Nutrition
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Note from Sabrina
The best tomatoes for homemade tomato soup are typically Roma tomatoes. Their meaty texture and intense flavor make them an excellent choice for creating a rich and flavorful soup. Other options include vine-ripened tomatoes or heirloom varieties, which can add a slightly sweeter or a tangier flavor, depending on which variety you choose.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
This Tomato Basil Soup is sure to be a new favorite homemade soup recipe because it’s incredibly simple to make yet filled with so much amazing flavor. It’s a combination of fresh ingredients like tomatoes, fresh basil, onion, garlic, and a few pantry staples like vegetable broth and heavy cream. The secret ingredient is roasting the tomato halves for a richer delicious smoky charred flavor. This soup is made with layer after layer of flavor. Sautéed aromatic onion and garlic adds a savory depth. Flour and broth make a flavorful roux for a thicker, creamier soup. Everything simmers together to deepen the flavors. Finally, the soup is finished with some cream for richness and basil for freshness.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are known for their firm texture, low water content, and robust flavor, making them perfect for this soup recipe. Their meatiness contributes to a thick and rich soup, while their intense flavor provides a delicious base.
- Basil: Fresh basil brings a delightful herbal and aromatic note to the soup. Its bright and slightly sweet flavor perfectly complements the acidity of the tomatoes and richness of the cream.
- Heavy Cream: The addition of heavy cream adds a luxurious creamy texture. It helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, for a smoother, richer soup.
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic add layers of savory and aromatic flavors. Cooking the onion brings out its sweetness and the garlic releases more of its pungent flavor as it cooks.
- Broth: Vegetable broth is a flavorful liquid that adds depth and richness, while making this a vegetarian-friendly soup. You can use meat based broth if you prefer.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor in the soup. It adds a concentrated and slightly caramelized taste, too.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar is included to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. It helps to round out the flavors, reducing any potential bitterness and enhancing the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! This soup can be made ahead of time, making it an excellent option for meal planning or entertaining. When soups are chilled then reheated, they also intensify in flavor. Prepare the soup as directed, let it cool, and then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, gently reheat it on the stovetop, adjust the seasonings if needed.
Pairing Suggestions
A big bowl of homemade soup is one of those dishes you can enjoy for pretty much any occasion. From a quick casual lunch with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich for dipping, to an elevated starter with Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls at a fancy dinner party, this Tomato Basil Soup can do it all. The flavors are rich and deep, but it’s still a kid-friendly soup. Truly, this is one of the best tomato soup recipes you’ll ever try!
How to Store
- Store: To store your Soup, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days, ensuring the lid is tightly sealed.
- Reheat: When reheating, gently warm the soup on the stove top over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if it is too thick.
- Freeze: For longer-term storage, freeze the leftovers, after they have cooled, in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stove.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Slow Cooker Method
- Roast the tomatoes as usual for more flavor. Otherwise, cut in half, remove the seeds and toss in oil and seasonings.
- Place the tomatoes in the slow cooker with the onion and garlic.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and vegetable broth until smooth.
- Pour the flour-broth mixture into the slow cooker.
- Stir in the tomato paste and sugar.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours, until the tomatoes are tender.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
- Stir in the heavy cream and sliced basil.
- Cook for an additional 30 minutes on Low.
Instant Pot Method
- Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
- Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” mode and heat the olive oil.
- Saute the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in the Instant Pot until softened.
- Remove the tomatoes.
- Whisk in the flour until fully incorporated, then add the broth until the mixture is smooth.
- Return the tomatoes to the pot along with the tomato paste and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot lid, seal the valve position, and cook on Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.
- Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Stir in the heavy cream and sliced basil.
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode again and cook for an additional 5 minutes to heat through.
Frequent Questions
While both Tomato Basil Soup and Tomato Soup share a tomato base, there are distinct differences between the two. Tomato Soup is a simpler version made primarily with canned tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. It often has a thinner consistency and doesn’t include basil as a prominent flavor. On the other hand, Tomato Basil Soup takes the classic tomato soup and elevates it with the addition of fresh basil, and adds heavy cream and a flour roux for a creamier soup and richer flavor.
You do not peel the tomatoes for this roasted tomato soup recipe. Often you blanch and peel tomato skins so your sauces and soups have a smoother texture, but in this recipe they are roasted which really softens the skin so peeling isn’t necessary plus the charred skin adds a smokey flavor. You end up with a rustic, slightly chunkier soup but the depth of flavor is worth it.
Variations
- Roasted Red Pepper: Add roasted red peppers to the soup for a smoky and slightly sweet twist. You can roast the peppers with the tomatoes, or use jarred red peppers. You could also roast green chiles or poblano peppers from some mild heat.
- Spicy: Give this soup a fiery kick by adding red pepper flakes, a dash of hot sauce, or adding diced jalapeños with the onions.
- Vegan: Replace the heavy cream with coconut milk or cashew cream for a Vegan version. Instead of butter, use coconut oil or vegan butter, or just use all olive oil.
- Tuscan: Add a drained and rinsed can of cannellini beans and Italian herbs for a heartier, Tuscan Tomato Soup. Stir in some fresh spinach at the end so that it slightly wilts when adding the cream and basil.
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This Tomato Basil Soup is absolutely phenomenal! The roasting of the tomatoes gives such rich, smoky depth, and the finish with cream and fresh basil makes it luxuriously smooth. Every spoonful is comforting and flavorful, perfect with crusty bread or a grilled cheese. Thank you for sharing this gem!
You’re welcome David and thanks for the kind review!
I felt that 2 cups of thinly sliced basil was WAY too much basil. It was hard to get a spoonful of the liquid without getting chunks of basil. I don’t have an immersion blender, so I dumped it all into a regular blender. Next time I’ll halve the basil, and add half of that to the blender so I still get the basil flavor without getting mouthfuls of it. But other than the basil thing, the soup was delicious and I loved that it was made with fresh tomatoes.
Good eye Heather! Yes, that is an unnaturally large amount of basil. I fixed that typo in the recipe card. It should be 1/4C of thinly sliced basil. I do hope you try this soup again, and let me know how it goes.