Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Printable)

Restaurant-style Italian soup with roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh basil in a silky, aromatic blend.

# What You Need:

→ Roasted Vegetables

01 - 3.3 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
03 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
04 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Soup Base

07 - 2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
08 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
09 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, optional
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar, optional

→ Garnish

11 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche, optional
12 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish
13 - Croutons or toasted bread, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange halved tomatoes, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
02 - Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until tomatoes are caramelized and onions are tender.
03 - Transfer roasted vegetables and any accumulated juices to a large pot. Add vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
04 - Stir in fresh basil leaves, butter, and sugar if using. Simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a countertop blender, then return to pot.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. For a silkier texture, strain soup through a fine sieve.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot. Drizzle with cream and garnish with fresh basil leaves and croutons or toasted bread if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The roasting step concentrates tomato flavor so intensely that you'll wonder why you ever made tomato soup any other way.
  • Four servings stretch beautifully as leftovers, and this soup actually tastes better the next day as flavors settle and marry.
  • No fancy equipment needed—just an oven and whatever blender you already own.
02 -
  • Roasted tomatoes will leak liquid on the baking sheet—that concentrated juice is gold, so scrape every drop into the pot because it holds all the caramelized flavor.
  • Adding basil after you blend keeps it tasting fresh and vibrant instead of dull and cooked; I learned this the hard way by adding it too early.
03 -
  • Don't peel your tomatoes before roasting; the skin helps them hold their shape and contains flavor—it all breaks down in the blender anyway.
  • If your soup tastes flat after blending, reach for salt before sugar; salt amplifies flavors that are already there in ways sugar never can.
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