An easy, creamy, rich, flavorful roasted tomato basil soup recipe that tastes like it's been simmering all day.
This soup is perfect for dipping grilled cheese or topping with croutons.
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why I love this soup
Flavor - It has a rich, delicious flavor that stands well on its own. You can pair it with grilled cheese sandwiches or eat it alone.
Easy to make - You get maximum flavor with minimal effort when it comes to this soup. When you roast the vegetables and let them simmer together, you end up with a soup that tastes like it took all day when it really didn't.
Freezer friendly - YOu can make a big batch of this soup to have on hand for grilled cheese nights. Make a big batch and freeze them for later. It holds up really well.
Equipment you'll need
- baking sheet
- immersion blender
- enamel cast iron Dutch oven (or other stock pot)
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
ingredients
- fresh Roma tomatoes - fresh is best and will give you the best-roasted flavor in your soup.
- cherry tomatoes - grape tomatoes also work well, but I find that cherry tomatoes have the perfect balance of sweetness.
- olive oil - Use a great tasting olive oil to lend a food flavor to your roasted vegetables.
- onion - I use a whole sweet onion for this recipe.
- garlic cloves - Use fresh, whole garlic cloves. They'll roast in their skin and add a great depth of flavor to the soup.
- kosher salt and black pepper - add these to taste. You may want a little more than what is called for in the recipe depending on your tastes.
- San Marzano tomatoes - San Marzano tomatoes have fewer seeds and are a bit sweeter than your standard canned tomatoes.
- fresh basil leaves - the fresh herb adds the intense basil flavor to the soup. Using dried herbs will not give you the same result.
- fresh thyme - thyme adds a brightness to the soup that can't be replicated with another herb.
- sugar - the sugar helps to balance out the acidity in the soup.
- chicken stock (or vegetable broth for vegetarian) - using a flavorful chicken stock will keep this soup tasting like it's been simmering all day. If you're making this for vegetarians, be sure to use vegetable broth instead.
- tomato paste - a few tablespoons of tomato paste help bring out an even more intense flavor and thickness.
- heavy cream (optional) - heavy cream is optional but will add a smooth creaminess to the soup that you won't find anywhere else.
how to serve
- grilled cheese - you can serve these with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich. We like making ours in the air fryer and dipping them in the soup.
- top with croutons - you can top these with homemade air fryer croutons or store-bought croutons.
- salad - You can make it a soup and salad combo and serve it alongside your favorite one.
how to make
Detailed instructions and measurements to make creamy roasted tomato basil soup are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Start by placing your tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss them around in olive oil and seasonings until they are fully coated.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Place a dutch oven (or stockpot) on the stove over medium heat. Add the roasted vegetables.
- Add in the San Marzano tomatoes, basil, thyme, sugar, stock (or broth), and tomato paste.
- Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it's smooth and creamy. Allow it to simmer for about 10 more minutes.
- If using, add in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Top with additional fresh basil if you want and serve with your favorite soup or sandwich!
tips, tricks, and faqs
If you don't have an immersion blender and don't want tomato skins, you can remove them after roasting before adding them to the pot.
You may be tempted to use parchment paper on your sheet pan when roasting your vegetables for easier clean-up. I recommend roasting them directly on the pan so that you can pour the juices into the stockpot.
Technically, yes, but I would not recommend it. A lot of the flavor of this soup comes from roasting the fresh tomatoes. If you absolutely cannot get your hands on fresh tomatoes, you can use roasted canned whole tomatoes.
You can use a can of roasted tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
We like to serve ours with sandwiches like a grilled cheese or with a salad.
A bisque is often thicker and creamier than a soup. Bisques are often made with a shellfish-type base.
substitutions
Roma tomatoes - you can substitute any form of plum tomatoes for Roma tomatoes. Roma is a type of plum, so any plum tomato will work here.
San Marzano tomatoes - if you can't find San Marzano in your grocery store, you can replace it with whole canned tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes have fewer seeds and a bit of a sweeter taste.
fresh basil - while fresh basil will give you the best flavor, you can also use dried basil. You'll need to adjust for your personal taste preference.
chicken stock - if you want this to be a vegetarian meal, you need to replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth.
heavy cream - the heavy cream is optional to add an extra bit of creaminess to the soup. If you don't have heavy cream, you can also use half and half.
how to store
Refrigerator - to store this in the refrigerator, let it cool to room temperature and store it in an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer - This soup is freezer friendly and can be stored for up to 6 months. Once the soup is at room temperature, add it to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, lay flat, and let it freeze.
how to reheat creamy roasted tomato basil soup
If frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, add the soup to a stockpot over low heat until heated through.
other soup recipes you might like
Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 8 Roma tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes
- 1 onion sliced in 4 pieces
- 6 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper plus more to taste
- 28 oz san marzano tomatoes
- 1 ½ cup fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups chicken stock vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ⅔ cup heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Start by placing your tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss them around in olive oil and seasonings until they are fully coated.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Place a dutch oven (or stockpot) on the stove over medium heat. Add the roasted vegetables.
- Add in the San Marzano tomatoes, basil, thyme, sugar, stock (or broth), and tomato paste.
- Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it's smooth and creamy. Allow it to simmer for about 10 more minutes.
- If using, add in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Top with additional fresh basil if you want and serve with your favorite soup or sandwich!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It should only be used for estimation purposes and is not a guarantee of any kind. Nutritional information varies widely between brands and types of ingredients used. It is recommended that you calculate the nutritional information based on your own ingredients and brands used. Sweetly Splendid, LLC makes no guarantees as to the exact nutrition information.
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