Cozy up with a steaming bowl of homemade tomato basil soup! Made with fresh tomatoes and basil, this recipe is easy, nourishing, and delicious.
During the transition from summer to fall, there’s nothing I crave more than this tomato basil soup recipe. Apples and squash are starting to pop up at the farmers market, but you can still find ruby red tomatoes and bunches of basil mixed in among them. I’ll be eating these summer veggies for as long as they’re at the market, even as the temperature starts dropping and I find myself hungry for warming bowls of soup instead of salads.
So at this time of year, I start making this tomato basil soup. I roast a market haul of fresh tomatoes to concentrate their savory flavor. Then, I simmer them with aromatic veggies, thyme, and a splash of tangy balsamic vinegar. Last but not least, I blend it all together with a big handful of basil.
The resulting soup is totally vegan, but thanks to the blended veggies, it’s still creamy and comforting. The roasted tomatoes give it a rich umami flavor, and the basil adds a lovely fresh finish. If you can, make a double batch. Eat half hot off the stove with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich or hunk of crusty bread. Then, freeze the rest to enjoy on a fall or winter night when you’re longing for a taste of summer.
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this roasted tomato basil soup:
- Roma tomatoes – Just like in my homemade salsa recipe, the tomato variety you use here matters. If you can’t find roma tomatoes, substitute another variety of small plum tomatoes. Larger heirloom or salad tomatoes are too watery for this recipe.
- Onion and garlic – They add savory depth of flavor.
- Carrot – It makes this soup nice and creamy without any nuts or heavy cream.
- Balsamic vinegar – For tang!
- Thyme leaves – For fresh, aromatic flavor.
- Fresh basil – You can’t make tomato basil soup without it! I blend in the basil right at the end so that it keeps its fresh flavor and flecks the soup with green.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It gives the soup body and richness.
- Vegetable broth – It creates the soup’s flavorful base.
- And sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
Making this tomato basil soup recipe is the perfect activity for a cool September afternoon. Your kitchen will fill with the scent of roasting tomatoes, simmering thyme, and fresh basil. Suffice it to say, when the soup’s done, you’ll be more than ready to eat.
First, roast the tomatoes. Slice them in half vertically and arrange them cut-side-up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Then, roast them at 350° for an hour, until they’re still juicy but starting to shrivel.
Next, sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion, carrot, and garlic in a large pot over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until they soften.
Then, simmer. Add the roasted tomatoes, broth, vinegar, and thyme leaves to the pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Finally, blend! Allow the tomato basil soup to cool slightly. Transfer it to a blender and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.) When the soup is smooth, add the basil leaves and pulse until just combined. Enjoy!
Tomato Basil Soup Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to eat, garnish your tomato basil soup with fresh basil leaves. If you want to add something for crunch, pile on a few homemade croutons or roasted chickpeas. A drizzle of olive oil or some freshly grated Parmesan cheese would be delicious too.
Enjoy the soup with homemade focaccia or good crusty bread for lunch, or pair it with a sandwich, salad, or pasta for a heartier meal. Most often, Jack and I eat it with grilled cheese sandwiches, but it’d be great with a Caprese sandwich or avocado toast as well. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, serve it with my Caesar salad, chopped salad, quinoa salad, or broccoli salad. It also makes a wonderful starter for any of these pasta recipes:
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Easy Pesto Pasta
- Homemade Mac and Cheese or Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Creamy Vegan Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
For more yummy pasta ideas, check out this post!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this homemade tomato basil soup, try one of these delicious soups next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Curried Lentil Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- Or any of these 25 Best Soup Recipes!
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds roma tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- â…“ cup chopped carrots
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 loosely packed cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until the edges just start to shrivel and the insides are still juicy.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, vinegar, and thyme leaves and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary. Blend until smooth. Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- Season to taste, ladle into bowls, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
I’ve made this twice, and it’s so delicious! Full of flavor and simple to make.
Hi Sara, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Delicious and so easy to make! I didn’t have enough tomatoes so I added some mini red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. It was delicious. I’ll definitely make it again.
Second time I’ve made this is less than a month! I obviously love it!
This was delicious! I used chicken bone broth for a little extra protein and got rave reviews from my family. Pinned to make again and again!
I have already made juice from our garden tomatoes. How much juice would you use for this recipe if you’re not going to use the tomatoes that you had in the ingredients for this recipe?
I make this because my daughter loves tomato basil soup. The only downside about this recipe is that now when she has it anywhere else she always says, “it’s just not as good as Mom’s.” 🙂
Do you leave skin on the the tomatoes?
Hi Linda, yep, we do!
Hi, this soup is wonderful! Is it possible to can it?
Hi Denise, I’m so glad you love the soup! We don’t have much experience canning, so I can’t advise on that. However, this soup freezes really well! I’d recommend doing that if you want to store some for a longer time.
This soup is fantastic! I doubled the recipe and roasted one cayenne pepper with the tomatoes. I blended the pepper along with the soup for a nice kick. I’ ll make this soup again when I harvest my next batch of tomatoes.
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you loved it! Great idea to add the pepper.
Wowza!!!! LOVE this recipe so much. I make a couple modifications based off what I had. I used canned Italian San Marzano pomodor whole tomatoes and hand crushed them, then roasted a handful of cherry tomatoes I had on hand with four garlic cloves and a red bell pepper. I also added a little cream at the end. It is amazing! Thank you for a beautiful recipe.
Hi Christy, I’m so glad you loved the soup! Your variation sounds delicious.
I made this beautiful vegan soup last week and I ate it all up. Paired with plain croutons or a tasty grilled cheese sandwich, it was so delightful to devour. I would not change a thing. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Cynde, I’m so glad you loved it!
Delicious! I needed to use up some of last year’s frozen pureed fresh tomatoes from the allotment and made it exactly to the recipe. My partner is not a great soup fan but even he raised his eyebrows when he first tasted it and said “Wow that’s lovely!”. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Hi Ros, I’m so glad you both loved the soup!
Can this soup be canned like a regular tomato soup, water bathed or pressure canned?
Hi Rebecca, I don’t have experience canning so I’m not sure.
I’m not a fan of soup. In particular, tomato soup is my worst culinary nightmare. We had so much canned tomato soup when I was a child even the smell makes me feel nauseous. I was looking for new recipes for my soup-loving husband and came across yours. Simple and quick, it ticked all the right boxes. I pared down the quantities to make just 1 portion. Curious to know what it tasted like I decided to put on my big-girl pants and had a spoonful. Well, it was amazing – so good I decided that I would have the tomato soup myself, without the basil, and made a traditional Polish soup for my husband. Thank you!! You have converted a life-long hater of tomato soup into someone who will make this regularly and enjoy every spoonful 😀
Ha ha, I love this! I definitely think homemade tomato soup is so different than the canned type :).
Oops, just realized it does include onion. But still want to know if it’s good at room temperature.
Hi Patti, We’ve always eaten this soup hot, but it might be good at room temp too. If you try it, let us know what you think!
Hi,
Can this be eaten at room temperature? And have you ever tried adding some sauteed onion?
Thanks,!
Super easy and tasty. My husband even had seconds. He liked so much that him asked me where I purchased it from and to purchase it again. It will definitely be a regular in our house. The change I did was to add cherry tomatoes since I was shy on the Roma tomatoes. Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi Barb, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hello, can I use Chicken Broth instead of Vegetable? And is it necessary to Roast the tomatoes, or can I grill them or just put them in without heating? Thank you
Hi Marcus, you can use chicken broth. I would still roast the tomatoes because roasting them concentrates the flavor and brings out their sweetness.
amazing! my boyfriend asked for this soup and i just clicked the first recipe that came up! i used just regular vine tomatos instead and he thought it was amazing. a bit too much basil for my liking but i’m a picky eater so take that as you wish lol. we added parm as a garnish which enhanced it so much more. he put a bit of leftover bacon in his second bowl and said it made it even better. thanks for the recipe, will definitely be making this again!
Hi Kass, Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you both loved the soup.
Love your recipes!
It’s January! Living in the Midwest—I’d rather not use store-bought tomatoes. So thinking if replacing fresh tomatoes with two, 14.5 oz cans of fire-roasted tomatoes. Thoughts?
Hi Elizabeth, We haven’t tested this recipe with canned tomatoes. The swap could work fine, but I might recommend making this tomato soup recipe instead right now. It calls for canned tomatoes, and it’s delicious!