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 (1/2-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
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven, or soup pot
Ingredients
- 9 Roma tomatoes sliced lengthwise
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes crushed
- 1 cup basil fresh, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2/3 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 tbsp 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!
Video
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!
I made this soup for a family get together and everyone LOVED it!!
Hi Michele!! FANTASTIC!!! Success!! We are thrilled to hear this. Thank you so so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That honestly means so much to us. Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Making it for a second time tonight so obviously we think it’s delicious. Pairing it with hummus veggie sandwiches. Mmmmm….
Hi Nancy! Sorry for the delayed response!! Woo hoo!! So so so happy you are loving the tomato basil soup! And pairing it with hummus veggies sandwiches sounds off-the-charts yummy!! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!! Please stay in touch!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
HELLO – just made the DELISH recipe but I still have tomato skins in it…can you recommend an immersion blender? (Mine clearly didn’t do the trick)
Hi Sherry! Sorry for the delayed response. We’ve used our KitchenAide immersion blender for years and it always does the trick. Here’s a link to one that is very similar to the one we use. Glad you enjoyed the soup!! And thanks so much for letting us know!! Stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
HI again — update. I made and froze the soup so I hadn’t tasted it yet. I reheated and added the cream and it was a HUGE hit. I made it for Thanksgiving day lunch during the football game and I doubled the recipe. I received rave reviews and passed along your recipe. (also, I bought the kitchen aid immersion blender and it worked great). Thank you!
I just finished making this soup and it’s delicious and easy!
This recipe goes into the my recipe book. Thank you.:-)
Hi Gail! Awesome! We are so so happy you made the tomato basil soup and had such great success! Thank you so very much for sharing! Stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Made this soup for the 1st time tonight and Followed recipe exactly, Used tomatoes from my sons garden. This is now one of our favorites. So delicious!!
Hi Mary! YES!! Homegrown tomatoes really put this over the top! We are THRILLED you made the soup and had such great success. Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I’m making this for our Halloween Dinner tomorrow. Quick question, during the two simmering steps, no lid or lid? Thanks!
No lid is fine! Hope you have great success! Let us know how it turns out!!
I made this soup for a group of student tutors who do not normally get to eat homemade food. They LOVED it! The only difference was that I added some yellow, orange, and red bell peppers to the tomato roasting because they were going bad, and I needed to get rid of them and also used pea-protein half and half since I am lactose allergic.
I directed them to your site so they can half the base recipe and they are super excited by how simple everything is.
We just love this soup!! I’ve made a dozen times or more now. A couple of tips: After roasting, I let the tomatoes cool a bit and then I throw the tomatoes into my food processor. I either freeze them or make the soup that day.
Hi Colleen! Woo hoo! We are so so happy you are enjoying the tomato basil soup recipe! Love the processor step! They really freeze so nicely and make great soup later on, especially when the temps drop! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
This looks so good! What a great fall lunch meal prep for the week!
Absolutely!!! We hope you enjoy the soup! Keep us posted!
Listen… in my 37 years never once had tomato soup. Woke up with a craving for it with grilled cheese. Found the recipe and tried it out… WHY HAVE I MISSED OUT IN THIS?!??
This is now a new comfort food for me. Thank you for expanding my horizons
Hi there!! Yay!!! You’ve waited a long time to have a scrumptious bowl of tomato soup!!! We are so so happy you made the soup and loved it so much! That is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing! Please stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. I found it 2 years ago and always look forward to using my home grown tomatoes to make this dish. I roast and freeze tomatoes all summer long so I can enjoy my tomatoes in this perfect comfort soup. Blessings from Indiana!
Hi Deborah!! Woo hoo!!! We are so so thrilled you are enjoying our tomato basil soup recipe! And we LOVE that you roast and freeze your summer tomatoes! That’s a pro!!! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That truly means so much to us! xoxo Kris & Wesley
I made this two days ago and had it with some rustic Italian bread. Oh my goodness, it is the best tomato soup I have ever had. We, my husband and I, like it so much I will be making another batch tomorrow to freeze for those cool days ahead. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Debbie! Woo hoo!! We are so so thrilled you and your hubby are loving the roasted tomato basil soup! And we agree about freezing plenty for the coming colder months! Thank you so much for sharing and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us! Best, Kris & Wesley
I love this recipe! I actually recommend this recipe to anyone who asks me about what I do.
There is one slight adjustment I do and that is I roast an entire head of garlic along with the tomatoes and add it to the soup.
Hi Dawn! That is so awesome! We are THRILLED you are enjoying the roasted tomato basil soup recipe! It’s one of our all-time favorites, for sure! The addition of roasted garlic sounds amazing! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! xoxo Kris & Wesley
I made this soup a couple weeks ago for my son and husband. Now they want more. I was thinking of making a double batch and freezing some. But why only 2 months in the freezer?
Hi Erin! Yay! We are so so happy you and your family are loving the tomato soup! That’s awesome! You can freeze for longer than two months, and be just fine. Just the longer something stays in the freezer, there’s always the chance it may get freezer burn. But, you’ll be fine. You could probably freeze up to 6 months and be just fine! Keep us posted! Best, Kris & Wesley
The best recipe by far!
Hi Kathy! Woo hoo!! So glad you have enjoyed the tomato basil soup! Thank you for sharing and for the awesome review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Awesome! This recipe turned me into a tomato soup lover! If I’m going to freeze it, should I leave out the cream or will the cream be ok to freeze?
Hi Caryn! Woo hoo!! We have frozen this with the cream in it and had no problem. But, you never know. Just for good measure, you could leave the cream out, and then stir it in once its defrosted and simmering on the stove! YUM!! Something to look forward to! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the great review. That means so much to us!! Keep us posted! xoxo Kris & Wesley