Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

This Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil truly is the ultimate soup! Simple to make and bursting with flavour, this homemade soup is perfect for any occasion.

As one of my most loved and most popular recipes, I had to include this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’!

The BEST Tomato Soup!

Is there ever a time that isn’t appropriate for tomato soup!?  Serve it as a starter, devour a huge bowl for lunch or dinner, when you’re feeling ill, if you’re cold, the list goes on. Whenever you need it, tomato soup has always got your back. And bread too. Bread is always good.

So, what makes the best tomato soup?

For me there’s 3 crucial factors to making the most delicious tomato soup:

1. Fresh Tomatoes – There’s just no comparison in using fresh tomatoes to canned tomatoes. The tomato is the hero ingredient so scope out the most gorgeous fresh tomatoes you can.
2. Roasted Tomatoes – By chucking the tomatoes in the oven beforehand, you get this yummy sweetness from the caramelization which adds heaps of flavour to the soup. Just like the fresh vs canned, there really is no comparison to boiled vs roasted.
3. Basil – Tomato soup with basil is just like salt and pepper. A marriage we are not here to break up.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasting the tomatoes is an incredibly important step in this tomato soup. By roasting the tomatoes you gain a deeper tomato flavour that fresh un-roasted tomatoes can’t quite deliver. You’re left with a rich and sweet tomato flavour which when turned into a soup, is to die for!

What type of tomatoes are best for soup?

Roma tomatoes work great, as do vine tomatoes and plum tomatoes. In any case just make sure they’re fresh and ripe tomatoes. If the tomatoes are under-ripe (green tinges) the soup will be slightly bitter.

Do you need to peel tomatoes for soup?

Because you are going to be using a hand blender to blitz the soup, you do not need to peel the tomatoes before or after roasting. If you want a completely smooth soup, you can strain it through a sieve. I quite like the rustic texture of soups, but completely down to preference!

How to Roast Tomatoes for Soup (quick summary)

1. Slice tomatoes in half and place flesh side up on a tray. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper, then flip back over.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and throw in some garlic and thyme.
3. Roast in the oven until wilted and lightly charred!

How to make Tomato Soup

Alrighty, so we’ve got some gorgeous roasted tomatoes, let’s talk soup. Here’s a few simple but crucial tips for making the best tomato soup:

Caramelizing the Onions

You’ll want to fry your onions off in butter at a low heat for at least 15-20mins. This will caramelize them and tickle out the sweetness. Those soft buttery onions are gonna add a gorgeous base flavour for the soup.

Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)

A nice dollop of tomato puree will not only add a deeper colour to the soup, but also enhances the tomato tones of the soup. It’s important to fry the puree, so it caramelizes and takes the bitterness of it.

How long to simmer soup?

You can simmer soup for anywhere between 20mins and 3 hours. The longer you simmer, the deeper the flavours. For this recipe I go for around 30mins as the tomatoes have already spent 30mins caramelizing in the oven. But, feel free to simmer for longer! Just remember to keep the lid on as you simmer so the soup doesn’t reduce.

How to make Roasted Tomato Soup (quick summary)

1. Fry onion in butter and caramelize.
2. Stir in tomato puree then deglaze with balsamic vinegar.
3. Pour in roasted tomatoes (with pan juices) and garlic (removed from skins).
4. Add fresh basil and stock and simmer.
5. Take lid off and blitz with hand blender.
6. Test for seasoning and thin out with stock if needed.

How to Serve Tomato Soup

This recipe will serve 4 as a main or 6 as an appetizer/starter. Serve it nice and hot fresh from the pot with a little extra garnish on top.

Tomato Soup Garnish Ideas

• Sprig of Thyme
• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper/Chilli Flakes
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Drizzle (and just a drizzle) of Cream

The little things really make a difference when dressing up a soup. Plus, all the above with actually enhance the flavour of the soup. You know, not just a pretty face and all.

What to serve with Tomato Soup

• Grilled Cheese (option in the recipe card below)
• Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
• Bread & Butter
• Parmesan Crisps (literally just bake small piles of parmesan on a tray and carefully peel off once golden. They crisp up as they cool)

Alrighty, I think that’s all the notes you’ll need for now. If you’re looking for another easy and delicious soup recipe be sure to check out my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Roasted Carrot Soup, Spring Onion Soup and Roasted Vegetable Soup. But for now, let’s tuck into the full roasted tomato soup recipe. Follow me…

How to make Roasted Tomato Soup (Full Recipe & Video)

5 from 19 votes

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

By: Chris Collins

This Roasted Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil truly is the ultimate soup! Simple to make and bursting with flavour, this homemade soup is perfect for any occasion. Serves 4 as a main, 6 as an appetizer/starter.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 55 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Equipment

• Large Pot
• Large Baking Tray
• Hand Blender
• Jug (for stock)
• Wooden Spoon
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1kg / 2.2lb Fresh Tomatoes (see notes)
• ▢ 240ml / 1 cup Chicken Stock, or to preference (can sub vegetable stock)
• ▢ 3-4 cloves of Garlic, skin on (or more if you're a garlic lover!)
• ▢ 1 medium White Onion, diced
• ▢ 1 tbsp Butter
• ▢ 1 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
• ▢ 1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 large handful Fresh Basil Leaves
• ▢ few sprigs of Fresh Thyme
• ▢ Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• ▢ Olive Oil, as needed
• ▢ 4x Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (optional - see notes)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
• Slice your tomatoes in half and evenly place them flesh side up on a suitably sized tray. Generously season with salt and pepper, then flip over. Chuck on your garlic and thyme, drizzle with olive oil and pop in the oven for 25-30mins or until wilted and lightly charred.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a suitably sized pot over medium heat and add the onion. Fry until it just begins to catch colour, then turn heat to low and gently continue frying until caramelized. Use this time wisely to cook the onions low and slow to bring out their natural sweetness. Add tomato puree and fry for a minute or so, then deglaze with balsamic vinegar.
• Pop the garlic out of the skins and remove the thyme from the tray. Pour everything (including the juices) into the pot with the onions. Add stock and basil, then leave to simmer with the lid on for a good 30mins (can simmer longer for deeper flavour, just make sure the lid is on so the soup doesn't reduce).
• Make sandwiches with burrata, pesto and bacon & butter the outsides. Fry both sides over medium heat until gold & crisp.
• Blitz using a hand blender and test for seasoning. If you prefer a thinner texture then gradually add more stock. To thicken just simmer with the lid off.

Video

Notes

a) Best Tomatoes for Soup - Roma tomatoes work great, as do vine tomatoes and plum tomatoes. In any case just make sure they're nice and ripe, if they're under ripe (green tinges) they'll be slightly bitter and throw off the flavour.

b) What to serve with Tomato Soup? - I like bread 'n' butter, grilled cheese (option in recipe above), cheesy pesto garlic bread or just some parmesan crisps.

c) How to garnish a Tomato Soup? - Ideas include: a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprig of thyme, a pinch of cayenne pepper/chilli flakes, cracked black pepper or a small drizzle of cream.

d) Do I have to fry the tomato puree? - The change in taste after you cook off tomato puree is crazy. Really enhances that deep tomato flavour. Once you've fried it just make sure you deglaze the pan. Here I use a small splash of balsamic vinegar.

e) Roasting Tomatoes - If you've got time, then lower the temp and cook longer for a deeper caramelization of the tomatoes. This will really intensify the flavours.

f) Caramelizing the onions - It's important to cook the onions slow 'n' slow to really caramelize them. You want that sweet, buttery goodness.

g) Roasted Garlic - I have actually be known to put a whole large bulb of garlic in this (because I love the stuff). Roasting the garlic actually takes the pungency out of and it turns it sweet, so don't be afraid to chuck in an extra few cloves and create a delicious roasted tomato and garlic soup. If you're at all weary though just stick with 3-4cloves, you'll definitely still be able to taste it.

h) Grilled Cheese - I serve this with my Inside Out Grilled Cheese from my Sandwich Blog. This is also how I serve it in my Cookbook 'Comfy'. The grilled cheese was in my original video was my burrata grilled cheese (makes 4):

• 8 slices medium Bread (i.e. Sourdough)
• 2x 5oz/150g balls of Burrata
• 4 heaped tbsp Pesto
• 8-12 slices cooked Bacon

i) Serving & calories - It would feed 6 as a starter or small lunch, 4 as a main. Calories based on a division of 6, assuming 1.5 tbsp olive is used in total. 

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Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.77g | Protein: 3.06g | Fat: 5.55g | Saturated Fat: 1.457g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.655g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.132g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 6.08g | Vitamin A: 3600IU | Vitamin C: 28.9mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

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