Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is made ultra creamy without the heavy cream! This easy homemade recipe purées oven-roasted and fresh tomatoes, veggies, and herbs for the best flavor. Enjoy this vegan, Whole30, and Paleo recipe for a healthy comfort food meal.
The cold weather in Winter makes me crave soups and stews non-stop!
Cooking up enormous batches has been the only way we have been able to stay warm and healthy! Our go-tos have been this Butternut Squash Soup, Creamy Cauliflower Soup, and this one you see here today.
Fresh tomatoes are roasted to bring out their natural sweetness, and mixed with the right herbs to create an incredibly flavorful meal!
And unlike other recipes that are laden with heavy cream – this one is actually 100% vegan!
Dairy-free milk is used to replace the cream to making it vegan, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly.
Do yourself a favor and make extra so you can freeze it and enjoy over and over again!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients you need to make this roasted tomato basil soup recipe include:
- Tomatoes. Both fresh and cooked, canned tomatoes are used in this recipe. Read below to see what types are best to use. You can skip the canned and select all fresh, but just make sure to roast them first.
- Garlic. The more garlic the better! Fresh garlic cloves, not garlic powder, deliver the most flavor.
- Onions. You need two small sweet onions. Feel free to substitute with red or yellow onions if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fresh Basil. A large majority of the taste comes from this flavorful herb.
- Broth. Choose vegetable broth for a vegetarian or vegan soup, or chicken broth if you prefer. Either way, make sure you get regular sodium broth and not reduced sodium.
- Thyme. Both fresh or dried thyme will work, just make sure you adjust the amount accordingly. Add even more herbs such as fresh oregano or rosemary.
- Milk. Coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, or cashew milk are all good choices. Full-fat coconut milk will give you the creamiest texture while almond milk will give you the lowest amount of calories. Lite coconut milk can be substituted for full-fat; however, it will not end up quite as creamy.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
The basic steps for making roasted tomato basil soup are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.
Select the Tomatoes
Both fresh and canned tomatoes are used in this recipe. The fresh are roasted in the oven to bring out their natural sweetness. Try out different varieties of tomatoes each time you make the soup to change up the flavor.
Best Fresh Tomatoes for Soup:
- Roma – These are a plum variety and have more flesh and less seeds than round tomato varieties. These are the preferred tomatoes to use.
- San Marzano – Another type of plum tomatoes , but they are a bit more difficult to locate in stores.
- Campari – This variety is full of flavor but they do have slightly more seeds than the plum varieties.
- Avoid using beefsteak, cherry, or heirloom tomatoes.
Best Canned Tomatoes for Soup:
- The most flavorful canned tomatoes to use are San Marzano.
- You will want to make sure to get the ones that are whole and peeled.
- I would not recommend using crushed or diced tomatoes as they tend to have less flavor.
Cut and De-Seed
Slice all of the tomatoes in half.
Using a sharp knife cut a V-shaped incision around the core.
Scoop out the core and the seeds. Use a spoon to remove any remaining seeds.
Halve the tomatoes. Make a V-cut. Remove the seeds.
Roast in the Oven
Place tomatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the onions and garlic onto the same baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, and dust everything with salt and pepper.
Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 40-45 minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Purée
There are a couple of ways you can purée your ingredients to make this soup extra creamy:
Vitamix
This is the preferred method and will give you the creamiest texture.
Combine canned tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme, and milk in a Vitamix. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until completely smooth. Then, pour the mixture into a large pot or Dutch oven.
Blend the canned tomatoes, broth, milk, and herbs. Repeat with roasted veggies.
Food Processor
This technique follows the same directions as the high speed blender, however, you will need to work in batches to prevent splattering.
Immersion Blender
Additionally, you can add the tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme, milk, and everything that was roasted in the oven to a large pot or Dutch oven and then purée using an immersion blender.
Simmer
Place the pot filled with the puréed soup on the stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Finally, mix in the remaining salt and pepper to taste.
Serving
Tomato basil soup is so filling and nutritious that it can be a meal all on its own.
Or, if you want to make it go even further you can pair it with these sides or additional ingredients:
- Homemade Croutons – Toss some cubed baguette bread in a bit of olive oil and seasonings. Roast on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes at 425°F.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Place a slice of fresh mozzarella between two gluten-free pieces of bread and toast until crispy!
- Crackers – Gluten-Free and Paleo crackers are a great addition.
- Fresh basil leaves, parsley or Parmesan cheese.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic up to 3 days in advance. You can also completely make the soup, since the flavors only improve with time.
- To Store: Tomato basil soup will last in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4-6 months.
- To Reheat: Warming the leftovers in a pot over medium-low heat on the stovetop brings out the best flavor.
FAQs
It depends on the specific recipe, but usually it is a very healthy soup choice. Tomato soup is packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Just be cautious of the sodium content, if need be.
Tomato soup generally consists of tomatoes, basil, broth, onions, garlic, and other seasonings.
Grilled cheese sandwiches, toasty baguettes, and crackers all taste wonderful along with tomato basil soup.
Puréeing tomatoes and simmering will thicken the soup. If you want it even thicker you can mix in a starch slurry or heavy cream.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Choose your tool. An immersion blender allows you to purée the soup in the pot making it a breeze to blend up!
- Use both. A combination of fresh and roasted tomatoes creates a wonderful flavor profile.
- Mix and Match. Try a combination of different types of tomatoes for a more complex taste.
- Pick fresh. Garlic cloves and basil leaves are ideal for the best taste.
- Freeze it. Make extra soup to store for future easy meals.
More Creamy Vegetable Soup Recipes
Keep warm all Winter long with any of these tasty soups:
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Vegan)
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is made ultra creamy without the heavy cream! Enjoy this vegan, Whole30, and Paleo recipe for a healthy comfort food meal.
Ingredients
Roasted Tomatoes:
- 2 lbs. roma tomatoes halved and seeded
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 small sweet onions cut into thick slices
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
Soup:
- 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes San Marzano variety
- 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
- ½ cup basil fresh
- 1 tsp. thyme fresh
- ½ cup milk oat, cashew, soy or coconut milk
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- Baguette optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Place tomatoes on a large parchment-paper-lined baking pan in a single layer.
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Add onions and garlic on the same baking pan, and drizzle olive oil, sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper over tomatoes and onions.
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Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.
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Combine canned tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme, and milk in a Vitamix or in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes, or until completely smooth. (Process in two batches if using the processor.) Pour processed tomatoes into a large pot or Dutch oven.
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Add the roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic to the Vitamix or processor along with any oil that remains on the parchment paper. Process until smooth and combine the vegetables with the ingredients already in the pot.
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Additionally, you can add the tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme, milk, and everything that was roasted in the oven to a large pot or Dutch oven and then puree using an immersion blender.
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Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
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Stir in remaining 1 ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to taste.
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Serve roasted tomato basil soup with a toasted baguette, homemade croutons, or grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
There are a couple of ways you can puree your roasted tomatoes in this roasted tomato basil soup:
- Vitamix– using this will give you the creamiest soup and is my preferred method.
- Hand Immersion Blender– This is the second best method, but you will need to be careful since it may get a little messy!
- Food processor– If using a food processor, you will need to puree your soup in batches to prevent splattering.
- To Store: Tomato basil soup will last in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4-6 months.
Karin Agard says
I don’t see in the recipe where you add the coconut milk? I would assume it is after it is done simmering for 10-15 mins. Please advise. Thanks.
Anne says
Made this, and it is DELICIOUS. I did add some chopped ginger because I like more spice. One question – How big is a serving? Thank you for such a great recipe!
London says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe so much, Anne! Ginger sounds like a great addition, too. Unfortunately, I do not know the exact serving size but would estimate it to be a little more than 1 cup of soup. Thanks for your comment and rating!
Margie says
Sounds delish! But you specify using full sodium instead of low sodium broth. Why is that? Seems to have a lot of sodium in this recipe. Would it be better to use the low sodium and add your own salt while cooking to control the amount?
London says
You can absolutely do that, Margie! Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Kristina says
This soup looks amazing! 🙌🏻 I’m excited to try it! Would this recipe work with using all fresh tomatoes and omitting the canned tomatoes? I have a huge bag of tomatoes to use and no canned ones on hand right now. Also, would I need to do anything different if using all fresh tomatoes? (boil them or just roast extra?) Thanks for your help!
London says
Hi Kristina! Yes, you can absolutely use all fresh tomatoes if that is what you have on hand. I would just roast them with the other ones! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Anonymous says
So excited to try this recipie! I would also love to use fresh tomatoes.im not suppose to eat can tomatoes at the moment.how many more would u use?
Thank you
Karen
London says
Hi! You will need to substitute about 3.5 cups or 1.75 lbs. fresh tomatoes for the canned tomatoes. Roast them along with the rest of the tomatoes and you should be good to go! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Meg Houlihan says
Really, really good. And so easy. My daughter loved it, and has requested another batch.
London says
Yay, Meg! I am so happy you and your daughter enjoyed the soup. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!!
Mary G says
Can this be frozen?
London says
Absolutely, Mary! This soup freezes great and will keep well for up to about 6 months!
Sydney D. says
I made this recipe last night and it was AH-MAZING! Tasted like a creamy delicious tomato basil bisque without all the guilt. I used a hand immersion blender and it was so easy. Thank you for the recipe! It’s becoming a staple in our household!
London says
Hi Sydney!! I am SO happy you enjoyed it! The immersion blender can definitely make creamy soups a breeze. Thanks so much for your comment!!
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
Wow, I didn’t know there are so much Vitamin C in tomato soup. I need this so much now. And it looks super tasty, comfort food 🙂
London says
Right?! Tomatoes are a powerhouse FULL of Vitamin C! Thanks so much for the sweet comment and review!
Becky says
Yum! Can’t wait to try this recipe soon.
Albert Bevia says
Yeah there is nothing better than warm homemade soups during cold and snowy days, this roasted tomato soup sounds delicious, simple yet complex in flavors
London says
I totally agree with you, Albert!! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂