4.25 9 Published Jan 17, 2024, Updated Oct 04, 2024
Why You’ll Love This Soup
Versatile – It’s delicious year round – perfect to use fresh tomatoes from your garden in the summer and fall or super comforting in the winter! Flavorful – Between the fresh roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and seasonings this soup is jam-packed with tons of flavor. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you! Meal prep – This soup is great for meal prep – make one batch and you’ll have healthy lunches or dinners ready to go for the week.
Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this tomato basil soup! Here’s what you need:
tomatoes – I recommend fresh plum or roma tomatoes. There’s no need to peel the tomatoes for this recipe. The skins add a ton of flavor! yellow onion and garlic cloves – adds a robust savory flavor base to this soup! olive oil – to roast the fresh tomatoes and garlic before blending. sea salt and black pepper – balances the flavors of the dish. fresh basil – I blend fresh basil right into the soup and top with extra fresh basil for even more of a flavor punch. Fresh is best! Italian seasoning – a key seasoning blend. vegetable broth – I recommend low sodium broth so you can be more in control of the amount of sodium! parmesan cheese – for serving I love topping my soup with freshly shredded parmesan cheese, but this is optional. Try my vegan hemp parmesan for a vegan option.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Basil Soup
This soup is so easy to make! There isn’t a ton of chopping or difficult steps. Just roast your tomatoes, simmer, blend and enjoy. Can’t get much easier than that if you ask me! Step 1: Coat your fresh tomatoes and chopped garlic with olive oil and then spread on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 400ºF for 40 minutes. This brings out delicious flavors in the tomatoes! Step 2: While the tomatoes roast, heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, chopped onions, salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent and start to brown and caramelize. Make sure you stir occasionally so the onions don’t burn! Step 3: Once the onions are caramelized, add the Italian season and vegetable broth. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes. When your tomatoes are done roasting, let them cool slightly before transferring to the Dutch oven. Before blending add fresh basil to the pot and then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in batches in a high-powered blender or food processor. Step 4: If you want a thinner soup, you can add more broth at this point. Portion soup into bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese, alongside crusty bread or grilled cheese.
Tomato Basil Soup Variations
This soup recipe is quite simple, but feel free to make it your own. Here are some ideas:
Tomatoes: Want to use a variety of tomatoes? Go for it! I could see this soup being delicious with the addition of cherry tomatoes. Creamy: Want a creamier texture? Add in heavy cream, coconut milk or even some white beans before pureeing! Thicker: Want a thicker tomato soup? Make a roux by whisking equal parts butter and flour together in a saucepan over medium heat until it thickens and becomes a paste. Add the paste to the soup and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. Spicy: Want to spice things up? Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. More veggies: Looking to add more veggies? Mix in some greens like spinach or kale after blending!
What Variety of Tomatoes Should I Use?
I typically use fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, but most varieties of tomatoes will work just fine in this soup. You can even use a variety of tomatoes in this recipe. I highly recommend that you use fresh vs. canned tomatoes. The fresh tomatoes add a ton of flavor compared to canned.
Do I Need to Peel the Tomatoes?
No need to peel the skin off the tomatoes before roasting! The skins actually add a ton of flavor to the soup.
How to Serve Tomato Basil Soup
When you’re ready to serve this flavor-packed soup, portion it into bowls. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve with parmesan cheese if using. If you want to add creaminess, you can drizzle with heavy cream or coconut milk before serving. I love serving it with crusty bread (like homemade sourdough), almond flour crackers, sourdough croutons or a grilled cheese sandwich. If you’re looking to serve this soup with a side salad (soup + salad = the best combo) it’d be delicious with this kale caesar salad, garlicky kale salad, Italian chopped salad or my easy quinoa salad. This tomato basil soup also makes for a great starter or appetizer to dinner. Here are some pairing ideas: one pot pasta, baked eggplant parmesan, penne alla vodka or spaghetti squash baked feta pasta.
How to Store Leftovers
In the refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. In the freezer: This soup will also freeze well for longer storage. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Easy Black Bean Soup Vegetable Soup Cauliflower Soup Sweet Potato Soup Broccoli Cheddar Soup Zuppa Toscana Soup (Olive Garden Copycat) White Bean Soup Autumn Harvest Soup(Panera Copycat)
Be sure to check out all of the healthy soup recipes here on EBF!
