Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Printer View)

Silky Italian soup with oven-roasted tomatoes, sweet onions, garlic, and fresh basil blended into luxurious comfort.

# What you'll need:

→ Roasted Vegetables

01 - 3.3 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
03 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
04 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Soup Base

07 - 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
08 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
09 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, optional
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar, optional

→ Garnish

11 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche, optional
12 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish
13 - Croutons or toasted bread, optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange the halved tomatoes, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are caramelized and the onions are tender.
04 - Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices to a large pot. Add vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
05 - Stir in the fresh basil leaves, butter, and sugar if using. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors.
06 - Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a countertop blender, then return to the pot.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. For a silkier texture, strain the soup through a fine sieve.
08 - Serve hot, drizzled with cream and garnished with fresh basil leaves and croutons or toasted bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The oven does most of the work while you relax, concentrating flavors into something far richer than raw tomato soup has any right to be.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, which means you can serve it confidently to almost anyone without apology or substitution stress.
  • One pot, one blender, and you've got restaurant-quality soup that tastes like you've been simmering it since dawn.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can make this quicker by cooking tomatoes in a pot—the oven does something chemistry cannot replicate, concentrating and caramelizing flavors that boiling simply won't achieve.
  • Taste before adding sugar; acidic tomatoes might need it, but sweet ones absolutely don't, and over-sweetening makes the whole thing taste like dessert in disguise.
03 -
  • If you prefer an ultra-smooth soup, push it through a fine sieve after blending—this removes seeds and skin and creates a silkiness that feels almost luxurious in your mouth.
  • Room-temperature cream or crème fraîche swirled in just before serving creates beautiful visual contrast and adds a cooling richness that balances the roasted warmth.
Return