Tomato Basil Soup is packed with rich flavor and is incredibly easy to make! This soup uses basic pantry ingredients, but the depth of flavor is amped up with the addition of roasted heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, shallots, and cream. It’s ready to eat in one hour (or less!). One taste, and you’ll never look at a can of tomato soup again!
Published: September 2021. Updated September 2023.
Soup lovers, rejoice! The season for homemade soup is upon us. This recipe is jam packed with flavor and once you make it, you’ll never look at a can of tomato soup the same way again.
Why you’ll love this Creamy Tomato Soup:
- Packed with Flavor – Little tricks like shallots, roasted heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, and cooking sherry add immense amounts of flavor to this soup!
- Easy to Make – This soup comes together in under an hour, with just 20-30 minutes of hands on cooking time.
- Basic Ingredients – With the exception of a few things like shallots and cooking sherry, I bet you have most of these ingredients on hand already!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
A mix of basic pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients (my flavor-makers!) add tons of flavor to this easy recipe. And, I should mention that this is technically more bisque than soup. It’s a little thicker and creamier, and it’s entirely the best tomato bisque we’ve ever had!
- Heirloom Tomatoes – Roasted heirloom tomatoes add depth of flavor & richness to this soup! This is a great way to use up fresh tomatoes from your garden or farmer’s market during tomato season. Regular tomatoes or roma tomatoes work well too.
- Spices – Basil, salt, and pepper are the only spices you need to make a flavorful tomato soup.
- Shallots – Shallots add so much flavor, and I highly recommend using them over regular onions here.
- Cooking sherry – This can be found near the olive oil and cooking vinegars in the grocery store. It’s another flavor maker!
- Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes – Canned tomatoes are the commonly used base for most recipes, and this is no exception. I find fire-roasted add the best flavor.
- Tomato paste – Tomato paste has a lot of tomato flavor – it’s essentially tomatoes cooked and concentrated into a paste. It adds additional richness and flavor!
- Heavy cream – This is optional, and can be left out if dietary restrictions necessitate.
- Garlic – Use whole garlic cloves, minced, or pre-minced in the jar. Either work!
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Gluten-free – This recipe is gluten-free as written!
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free cream or omit it to make dairy-free.
- Vegan – If you omit the cream or use dairy-free cream, this recipe is vegan.
- Heirloom Tomatoes – If you can’t get your hands on any heirloom tomatoes, you can substitute regular ones or omit them with no other modifications needed.
- Broth – Vegetable or chicken broth both work just fine.
How to Make the best Tomato Soup Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Roast Tomatoes. Slice your fresh tomatoes & add to a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle them with olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, and roast them at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. Once you have those roasting in the oven, you can get started on the rest of the recipe.
Step 2: Build the Soup Base. Start by sautéing chopped shallots in a bit of olive oil, in a large pot or dutch oven. Once they’re soft and golden, add garlic and tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes to build up that flavor.
Step 3: Simmer the Soup. Next, add your canned fire-roasted tomatoes, broth, cooking sherry, dried basil, salt + black pepper, and a pinch of brown sugar. Let this come to a boil, and then simmer it for about 20 minutes, to help the flavors develop even more.
Step 4: Blend. Once the mixture in the soup pot is done simmering, add it to a blender with your roasted heirlooms. Blend everything all up until it’s nice and creamy. I’m telling ya, easiest soup ever! You can also add the heirlooms to the tomato mixture in the pot and blend with an immersion blender.
Step 5: Add Cream and Basil. Return the soup to the pot, and add a splash of heavy cream. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread for that *chefs kiss* perfect dinner pairing!
Serving + Storing this Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe:
Serve this soup immediately, with a drizzle of cream and some fresh basil. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top is delicious too. And if you want the nostalgia factor, serve with toasty grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s the perfect thing to dunk in this easy tomato bisque! I hope you absolutely adore this tomato soup and I hope you dunk plenty of delicious bread into it! Happy cooking, and happy soup season!
Expert Success Tips for Homemade Tomato Basil Soup:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich – My husband makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever – he uses a mix of sliced gouda, sliced muenster, and shredded sharp cheddar.
FAQs:
Yes, you absolutely can halve this recipe! I don’t recommend doubling it, though, unless you have a massive pot or dutch oven. This soup almost completely fills a 4.5 quart dutch oven as written, for reference.
Yes, you can! Don’t freeze it with any whole pieces of basil in it. Let the soup cool completely, then freeze in a freezer safe container for 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Recipe Variations:
- Heirloom Tomatoes – You can use regular tomatoes if you can’t get your hands on any heirlooms, or omit them with no other changes needed to the recipe.
- Homemade Croutons – Make my quick homemade croutons to serve with this soup!
Special Tools:
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- Dutch Oven – This 4.5 quart dutch oven is one of my most-used kitchen items! It’s perfect for soups, stews, baking bread, and so much more.
- Blender – Your regular blender should work just fine for this recipe, but a high-powered blender is always a good idea!
- Stick Blender – An immersion blender is handy for making things like soups, apple butter, peach butter, etc.
More Favorite Soup Recipes to Love:
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Healthy + Hearty Minestrone Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- One-Pot Cheddar Cauliflower Soup
- Best-Ever Slow Cooker Chili
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Tomato Basil Soup with Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
- 2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
- olive oil
- salt + pepper
For the Tomato Soup
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 medium shallots, roughly chopped
- 8 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 and 1/3 cups cooking sherry See note if unsure where to purchase
- 2/3 cup vegetable broth
- Two 28 ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes or four, 14.5 ounce cans
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp dried basil More to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
For Serving
- fresh basil
- drizzle of heavy cream Optional
Instructions
- Roast the Heirloom Tomatoes: Preheat your oven to 450℉. Add the thinly sliced tomatoes to a baking sheet (or two) in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Set aside for later.
- Make the Soup: Once your tomatoes are in the oven, get started on the soup! Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pot and cook, stirring lazily, for 8 to 10 minutes. The shallots are ready when they're soft and golden. Add the minced garlic, and cook for a minute just to get the raw taste out. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cooking sherry, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, dried basil, salt, and pepper and stir to combine everything. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Blend the Soup: Add the roasted heirloom tomatoes to a high-powered blender, and carefully ladle in the contents of the pot after the 20 minutes are up. Blend on high speed until everything is nice and creamy. (You may need to blend some of this in one initial batch, to free up space in the blender, and then add any remaining soup from the pot in on top of that and continue blending.)
- Serve + Store: Before serving, taste and adjust any seasonings as desired. Drizzle the soup with heavy cream (optional) and top with fresh basil. Enjoy while nice and piping hot, with a hunk of crusty bread or a grilled cheese.Store leftovers, in an airtight container, in the fridge for 4-6 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Laurie says
Can this soup be preserved–say for example by canning?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Laurie! I believe that would work as long as you make sure to leave out the heavy cream. I don’t have experience canning so I can’t offer much advice beyond that. This soup does freeze beautifully, though! And, if you go that route you can use the heavy cream. Let me know how you like the recipe!