If there was ever the ultimate comfort soup, this bowl of deliciousness would be a serious contender.
We go with a combination of fresh tomatoes and canned crushed tomatoes for the perfect taste and texture. The fresh basil and stock are just the right amount of balance to the soup. The cream adds depth and luxuriousness. And, once you’ve roasted the tomatoes, the soup comes together in about 30 minutes!
HOW TO MAKE ROASTED TOMATO SOUP
Roasting the tomatoes for this easy tomato basil soup delivers a deeply satisfying taste for the soup.
You can really go with any type of tomato here, but we find Roma tomatoes work best. And, they are typically available all year.
ROASTING THE TOMATOES IS EASY
Simply preheat your oven to 375°F, line a large baking sheet with foil, and slice the tomatoes in half.
If using whole tomatoes, then cut them into thick (½-inch) slices. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. After baking for 1 hour, they will be tender and perfectly cooked.
EXPERT TIP: The tomatoes can be roasted in advance, up to 24 hours. Once the pan is cool enough to handle, cover the tomatoes with either kitchen towels (not pressing down on them), or with plastic wrap. When ready to use, carefully transfer the roasted tomatoes with a spatula (or your hands) from the baking sheet to the pot.
After sautéing chopped onions in olive oil, throw in 4 minced cloves of garlic along with some chopped fresh thyme.
Next goes in a large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes and the fresh basil.
Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for just 10 minutes.
FRESH TOMATO BASIL SOUP IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES
Once the canned tomatoes have simmered with the basil, it’s time to add in the roasted tomatoes.
Add the stock and let simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes.
We’re getting close, folks!
To reach the right consistency, we use our immersion blender.
EXPERT TIP: You could also purée the soup in a blender or even a food processor. Using either of these appliances will give you a very smooth texture. The immersion blender allows you to make the soup as smooth, or textured, as you desire. Whichever method you opt for, use caution. The soup is hot and can splatter and cause a burn if it reaches your skin.
A final addition of heavy cream adds a depth of silkiness and taste that makes this the best-ever creamy tomato basil soup recipe on the planet.
The soup is now ready to eat, or you can keep it at a low simmer until ready to serve.
EXPERT TIP: You can substitute whole milk or half-and-half in place of the heavy cream. The finished soup will not be as silky, and the cream does add a layer of taste that we think is wonderful, but the other options are fantastic, too. For a completely dairy-free version, don’t add the cream or milk at all.
THE PERFECT SOUP FOR ENTERTAINING
This soup is so satisfying and always gets rave reviews when we serve it to guests.
Silky, cream, and layers upon layers of taste.
And it’s so easy to prepare!
ROASTED TOMATO BASIL SOUP FAQs
- Can I use only canned tomatoes? Yes, but you won’t get the deep roasted taste from roasting fresh tomatoes. If using only canned, skip the roasting steps of the recipe and go with two 28 oz. cans of tomatoes, we recommend one can of crushed tomatoes, and one can of whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano (make sure the can is labeled “certified”).
- What about dried herbs, can I use them? For the thyme, absolutely, go with 1½ teaspoons of dried. For the basil, you won’t get those beautiful specs of basil, and the flavor won’t be as robust, but in a pinch, you could go with ¼ cup of dried basil.
- How do you make those delicious looking croutons? Cut a loaf of bread into thin slices. Cube the slices (2 or 3) and place them in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake until golden, flipping once – about 8 minutes.
- How long will the soup keep? As with so many soups and stews, this gets even better the next day. It will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and freezes beautifully for up to 2 months.
THE PERFECT DUNKING SOUP
You and your loved ones will flip when you serve this amazing soup. Other favorite soup recipes are our:
Rustic Lentil Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Classic French Onion Soup
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
But in the meantime, make this amazing Roasted Tomato Basil Soup! The PERFECT soup for grilled cheese sandwich dunking!
Ready to make the best tomato basil soup in the world? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and hashtag #howtofeedaloon!
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Video
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven, or soup pot
Ingredients
- 9 Roma tomatoes sliced lengthwise
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes crushed
- 1 cup basil fresh, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Spread tomato halves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Roast tomatoes for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil, or butter, in a large pot (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, and saute for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and sugar to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add the stock and the roasted tomatoes into the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or very carefully transfer to a blender or food processor to purée. This would most likely need to be done in a couple batches. Return the soup to the pot.
- Stir in the cream.
- To make the mini croutons: Cut a few small pieces of bread in small cubes, add a little oil, diced garlic and basil...bake at 400 for about 7 minutes... these make wonderful croutons!
- Add the croutons to the top of the served soup. Serve at once!
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in March 2014, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe, new tips, photography, and a brand-new fabulous video in March 2020!
Ali says
So flavorful!
Kris Longwell says
Thanks, Ali! We are so happy you enjoyed the soup and thank you SO MUCH for the great review! That means the world to us!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Jen Kristy says
This is the only tomato soup I will ever make. Fresh Roma tomatoes from a farmers market make this recipe even better. Making this now to freeze with fall time right around the corner. It’s like a warm cozy hug and can’t wait to have this on a cool rainy fall day!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jen! You just made our day! Farm fresh Roma tomatoes are the way to go! And you are going to LOVE the soup on a cool rainy fall day (we’re in Texas and that seems sooooooo far away!!). Thank you so much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That truly means so much to us! Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Alicia says
The best tomato soup recipe ever!! I have been making this weekly for 6 months straight. It is the first tomato soup I have been able to get my husband to eat. Chefs kiss
Kris Longwell says
Hi Alicia! So sorry for the delayed reply! YAY!!! We are so thrilled that you are loving the tomato basil soup! Weekly for 6 months!!!! AWESOME!!! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing and for the AMAZING review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch!!! xoxoxo Kris & Wesley
Elizabeth says
Our family LOVES this recipe! My son is an incredibly picky eater and he begs me to make this often so he can dip his grilled cheese sandwich in it. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Elizabeth! We can’t even begin to express how happy this makes us! Especially helping you keep your son fed!!LOL! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!! Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Kathy Martin says
I see you say you can freeze this soup and will last up to two months. Can you can this recipe using the water bath method? We love this soup and want to use fresh tomato’s and basil from our garden. Thank you
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kathy! We’ve never canned this soup using the water bath method, but I don’t see why it should work! Totally understand about wanting to enjoy you wonderful fresh basil all year long! Go for it! And do let us know how it all turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
David Castle says
very nice
Kris Longwell says
Thanks so much, David! We are so so happy you enjoyed the tomato basil soup! And thank you so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means a lot to us! Please stay in touch. Best, Kris & Wesley
Rebekah Montgomery says
Love! Love! Love this recipe!! The soup is AMAZING!!
My basil is taking over this summer, any tips for freezing it so I get that fresh basil taste this fall? I usually freeze my herbs in olive oil or make a butter, but not sure that will work for your soup.
Happy Summer!!
Rebekah
Kris Longwell says
Hi Rebekah! YAY!!! We are so so thrilled you are loving our roasted tomato basil soup! And hooray for bountiful amounts of basil! If you roughly chop, toss with a little olive oil, and then place in ice trays, and then freeze, it will work nicely with the recipe! Let us know if you try it and how it all turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Joni says
I’ve just taken to roasting tomatoes in my air fryer & had made a lot – needed to make something with them. I found your recipe and it is a complete winner and so simple & delicious! Thanks for the recipe
Kris Longwell says
Hi Joni! Woo hoo! We are thrilled you are able to roast the tomatoes and then put them to good use in the soup recipe! Thank you so much for sharing and please stay in touch! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Sjef says
The canned tomatoes amount does not change, when I change the amount of servings. It says 28 oz, which translates into 798gr of canned tomatoes. For 2 or for 12 people. I used 6 cups of stock only because to me it didn’t look like enough for 12.. I got scared looking down my huge soup pan.. I mean 13 sliced tomatoes is just one oven tray + 1,5 cans of canned tomatoes. You know, am I doing it right? The smell is heaven. I’ve made it once before and I only remember it was the best soup ever made. Please help me correct the amount. And the video of you two is adorable. Thanks Sjef
Kris Longwell says
Hi there, Sjef! Thank you so much! Did you make the soup and increase the amounts? If so, how did it turn out? Sounds like you were doing a great job. For 12 people, you should just be able to double all of the ingredients and have plenty. To be on the safe side, you could triple the recipe and probably have some leftover! Let us know! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Jennifer Demchik says
I see that there is 8 servings and 190 kcal per serving but what is the serving size? A cup?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jennifer, yes, 1 serving would be about a cup. Hope this helps and we hope you enjoy the soup!!
Abby says
My hubby and I found this recipe around the start of our marriage in 2020, and we’ve enjoyed it every few months since! Every time we make it for guests, we always have to send them a link to the recipe. It was a favorite comfort food during the stress and frustration of the pandemic/my pregnancy, and now it seems to be a favorite to our toddler as well! Absolutely delicious every time, and the homemade croutons just complete the dish.
Kris Longwell says
Abby! You honestly have no idea how much joy reading your comment gave both of us! It’s people like you and your hubby that makes us love what we do! We are thrilled you have enjoyed the roasted tomato basil soup and it gave a little joy during the trying pandemic (and your pregnancy!). Thank you so so much for sharing and for the amazing review. Please give our love to your beautiful family! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Crystal says
This was my 1st time making tomato basil soup. I followed your recipe and it was absolutely delicious! The recipe was easy to follow and I made sure to use all fresh ingredients as you suggested. I served it with grill cheese sandwiches and my family loved it. Thank you so much for sharing! It’s a keeper!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Crystal! So sorry for the delayed response but we can’t tell you how happy this make us! We are so so happy you had such great success making our tomato soup…and your first try at it! Sounds like you prepared it perfectly! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the GREAT review! That means so much to us! Stay in touch, Kris & Wesley
Joye says
This recipe is amazing. Best tomato soup …. Ever
Kris Longwell says
Hi Joye! We are so so happy that you loved the roasted tomato basil soup! And THANK YOU so very much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Maura says
Like the comments above, this seriously is the best! I’ve not ever made a tomato soup this good!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Maura! That is music to our ears! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the great review! We truly appreciate that so much! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Carrie says
I just made this last night and it is hands down the best tomato soup I have ever had. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!! I loved it and already can’t wait to make it again 🙂
Kris Longwell says
Hi Carrie! You just made our day! Yay! We are thrilled you made the roasted tomato basil soup and had such great success! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Sarah says
I can’t get enough of this soup! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with the world!!!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Sarah! Yay! So so glad you are enjoying the soup! Thank you so much for sharing and for the fantastic review! We appreciate that so so much! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Jenny says
This is the absolute best tomato basil soup! My family devours this and I have to double it every time I make it. Even my two year old grandson can’t get enough of it, THANK YOU!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jenny! You just made our day! We are so so thrilled you and your family are enjoying the roasted tomato basil soup! And thank you so so much for sharing and for the AWESOME review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley