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!
Liz says
The only thing I had to adjust was the roasting time – the first time I made this recipe, the tomatoes burned & practically evaporated in the oven. I suggest roasting the tomatoes for about 20-30 minutes and keeping a close eye on them so you don’t lose all the delicious juice!!!
Carol says
Soup was fabulous. Will make again. Made jalapeño cheddar grilled cheese sandwich to go with it. So yummy. Thanks bunches
Kris Longwell says
Hi Carol!! Wow!! Sounds like you had an amazing meal!! So so glad you had success with the soup!! And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Alexa says
This recipe was amazing! It made for plenty of leftovers, which was still good the next day. I’ll definitely be making this more times
Kris Longwell says
Hi Alexa! That is so wonderful to hear! We are so happy you loved the tomato basil soup! And we agree, we think it’s even BETTER the next day!! Thank you so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! We truly appreciate that so so much!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Gina says
This was delish and so silky it was the perfect addition with my baked Swiss cheese sandwich. Thanks so much.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Gina! That is so great to hear and we are thrilled you loved the roasted tomato soup!! And yum!! Baked Swiss cheese sandwich! That’s livin’ the good life! Thanks so much for letting us know! We truly appreciate that!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Can I make with non-dairy milk?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Vanessa, yes, you can! You won’t get quite the creamy, luxurious texture that you get with dairy, but you’ll still have a very delicious soup. We’ve had other cooks use non-dairy, and had really great results. Let us know how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Suzanne says
This looks so good! You can’t beat roasted garden tomatoes! The flavors are amazing!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Suzanne!! We couldn’t agree more! So delicious! And thank you so much!
Eck says
We are quarantined for the next 14 days due to COVID. We have a LOT of tomatoes from our garden, but no canned tomatoes. How could we substitute that with fresh tomatoes?
Kris Longwell says
Hi there! First and foremost…we hope you are well and safe! You can go with all fresh tomatoes. Simply double the amount of fresh tomatoes and don’t use the canned. You can use as many fresh tomatoes as you like…it will be amazing. You just will have to adjust a little with the amount of cream and salt. You’ll know as you go, though!
Kristen Hovland says
Love your video!! I roasted the garlic cloves and sliced onion with the tomatoes. Excellent soup!! Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Mary Beth Brown says
Just finished making your recipe and it’s amazing ! I have so much basil in my garden , this was the perfect
way to use some. Was enjoyable to put together too, the aromas ! From roasting tomatoes and chopped basil . . .heavenly ! Pairing it later today with Southern Grilled Cheese sandwiches. ( grainy bread, pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes and hot pepper jelly, YUM ) Thanks so much .
Kris Longwell says
Mary Beth!! Wow! Our mouths are watering reading your comment! Sounds like you have a feast that was incredible! And we are so glad you had such great success with the tomato basil soup. And with fresh homegrown basil…the BEST!! And thank you so much for letting us know! All the best!! Kris & Wesley
Cheri mello says
LOOKS AWESOME ♥️Thank You For Sharing!! And It’s NICE to KNOW what’s in YOUR FOOD And Since Winter Is Coming It WI Come in HANDY!! G-d♥️Bless
Kris Longwell says
Hi Cheri!! Thanks so much!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Pamm says
Did you mean to print that we should roast the tomatoes at 375 for an hour? I just used the precious last of my home grown tomatoes and after 40 minutes in the oven I checked on them and they were burnt to a crisp. So disappointed..
Kris Longwell says
Pamm! We are so so sorry to hear this!! They should have slowly roasted until very soft and even slightly charred, but not burnt. We worked hard at making this recipe was just right, so I wish we could figure out what happened!
Callie says
Quite possibly the best soup ever. I’m obsessed. I think I may make the base and freeze it for the winter and then add cream when reheating. So, so, SO delicious!!!!
Kristen says
Hi! I’m a Weight Watcher so wondering what is the best lower fat/calorie substitute for the heavy cream/whole milk (without sacrificing too much of the creamy flavor)? Also, what is the serving size for this recipe? I’m so looking forward to trying this and really get into the fall spirit!!!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kristen! You could use non-fat, non-flavored almond milk, and still get delicious results. You’ll get 4 medium-sized bowls of soup from this recipe. It’s so good! Let us know when you make it and what you think! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Belinda says
I’m Italian. I’m back in Italy with this absolutely delicious soup.
Kim says
So what do you consider a medium-size bowl? 2 cups, 3 cups? If you could take the medium size bowl and pour water into it and measure that in cups, would give a much better idea of serving sizes? Not being rude, but for people who want to know approx serving sizes for health, or for family size, a medium bowl is t much help
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kim! 2 to 2½ cups!
Sharon says
This was fabulous! Roasting the tomatoes made all the difference. It was easy, if a bit time consuming. Well worth the effort. Will try doubling the recipe next time. A keeper!
Megan says
We had to do an early clean out of our garden because of snow so I had oodles of romas. This was the perfect fall recipe for our chilly weather today! Tomato basil is my husband’s favorite and we both gave two thumbs up. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be keeping this one!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Megan! We can’t believe you got snow! But, it’s bound to happen! Well, most importantly, we are thrilled you were able to put those amazing garden-fresh tomatoes to good use! We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you so much for letting us know…and for the awesome review! That means the world to us!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Andra says
Using fresh from the garden Roma tomatoes which are considerably smaller than what you show in the video. Do you have a weight measurement for me to rough out the amount? TYIA
You guys are great!
Kris Longwell says
Andra!! I AM SO SORRY!!! I just realized I never replied to you! Well, it’s probably too late, but we use about 2½ lbs of fresh tomatoes. Sorry again for the extra delayed response!!
Lisa says
This is the best tomato soup I have ever had! My teen son was very impressed:). So flavorful.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Lisa!! That is so awesome to hear and double win for impressing your teenager! Thank you so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! We truly appreciate that so very much! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Jody says
Can I use all roma from my garden and not the canned tomatoes?
Kris Longwell says
Absolutely! Just double the amount of roma tomatoes that are called for in the recipe. Let us know how it turns out!