Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

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.

• 

• 

• 

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.

• 

• 

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.

• 

• 

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

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:

Butternut Squash Soup

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Zucchini Soup

Beet Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup