tomato basil soup with roasted heirloom tomatoes

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!

this recipe

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 1: Roast Tomatoes. Slice your fresh tomatoes & add to a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, and roast at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. 

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. 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 Homemade Tomato Soup:

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 – perfect for dunking.

Make my Chicken Wild Rice Soup or my Slow Cooker Chili for your next soup craving!

Expert Success Tips for Homemade Tomato Basil Soup:

• 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.
• Heirloom Tomatoes – These have the best flavor when they’re actually in season, from mid-summer to early fall. During the winter and spring, I skip this step and just use canned tomatoes.

FAQs:

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 some quick homemade
  croutons (find the recipe within my One-Pot Cheddar Cauliflower Soup post) to serve with this soup!

Special Tools:

Affiliate Links.

• 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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