Roasted tomato soup with basil is the best kind of comfort food. Easy to make and with simple ingredients this soup is perfect for cool weather with nice crusty bread. When the weather warms it also makes a great chilled soup.
Tomato soup was a go to of mine during college. It was easy to make with fresh ingredients and it was really cheap and made a lot. Once I was out of school, I wanted to change it up a little bit and see how I could make it taste even better. Roasting the tomatoes and garlic made all of the difference. Once you try this recipe you are bound to be hooked. Of course, you need a nice grilled cheese sandwich or some nice crusty bread to go with it.
In this recipe
There aren’t too many ingredients in the soup which is why it is a great go to for the colder months and it doesn’t take very much time to make. A great vegetarian dish that can be easily made vegan.
Tomatoes: these are the stars of the show. You will want to make sure that you use the freshest around you can find that are packed with flavor.
Basil: adds a nice flavor to the tomatoes as it is a great complement to them.
Balsamic vinegar: this is the hidden ingredient that will have everyone wondering why this dish is so good. It adds a subtle brightness to the dish and complexity to the flavors.
Caramelized onions: will add a natural sweetness as well as richness to the soup.
Roasting the tomatoes
This is where you are going to add a whole bunch of flavor to the tomato soup instead of just cooking them in broth. You will want to line the sheet pan with parchment or foil. This is more to keep them from sticking to the metal than anything else. They will release a lot of water this way. By adding salt to the tomatoes, it will also help draw out the excess water quickly. When you open the oven, you will want to keep your face away as there will be a lot of steam that will escape when you open it.
Caramelizing the onions
Since you have to wait about 40 minutes for the tomatoes to cook you might as well get started on making things even more tasty right? Well by caramelizing the onions you will do just that. Heat the oil and onions in a Dutch oven. You won’t have to stir often at the beginning, but you will want to stir just enough to keep them from burning, every couple of minutes. As they start turning translucent you will need to stir more frequently.
Blending the tomato soup
One of the most important things you need to do in order to make the tastiest soup. This part can be done at your preference. If you want a chunkier soup, you can leave it as is since the garlic and tomatoes should break down pretty nicely. However, for a smoother soup you will need to use a blender. It can be a regular one or an immersion blender. The more powerful the motor the smoother you can get the soup. If you are using a regular blender, then you will want to blend in small batches. For the smoothest soup pass it through a fine mesh sieve. However, if you do that you will not have nearly as much soup.
Looking for other tomato recipes?
Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil
Equipment
- Dutch oven, or other large pot
- Lined sheet pan
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 pounds tomatoes quartered
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups sweet onion sliced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup basil shredded
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, 200°C, or gas mark 6.
- Place the tomato quarters and garlic on the lined sheet pan. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle the salt on top. Roast for 40 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are cooking heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and onions. Stirring frequently cook until the onions caramelize. This can take up to 20 minutes.
- Once the onions have caramelized reduce the heat to low. Once the tomatoes and garlic are ready add them, the oregano, paprika, chili flakes if you are using them, and the basil to the broth, increase the heat to medium, cover and cook for another 20 minutes.
- If you are using an immersion blender, then carefully blend the soup to prevent splatter since it is still very hot. If not working in small batches add the soup and blend until smooth. Repeat until all of the soup has been blended.
- Once the soup is ready to serve add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Pour into bowls and drizzle 2 tablespoons of heavy cream on top. Top with additional basil. Pairs well with a grilled cheese sandwich or a nice crusty bread.
Nutrition
