The best tomato basil soup ever. It’s creamy, with the right touch of basil. Served with grilled cheese or toast, it’s assured to be a soup you can find pleasure enjoying year round.
How to prepare
Ingredients needed
- Roma tomatoes – they work best for this recipe. If Roma tomatoes are not available, opt for cherry tomatoes. Because cherry tomatoes are smaller, you will need more. Do not use larger tomatoes because they provide too much liquid.
- Yellow onion – Flavor!
- Red bell pepper – Completely optional, but adds that extra layer of flavor.
- Carrot – While the carrot will help serve as a thickener, it also adds a sweet accent; without having to add any sugar.
- Garlic – Just like the onion, flavor!
- Grapeseed Oil – Helps those fresh veggies roast perfectly, and also adds abundance to this delicious soup.
- Tomato paste – Serves as part of your base, which also adds flavor and depth.
- Oregano – Gives the soup an herby, aromatic flavor.
- Salt & pepper – Helps all the flavors marry each other.
- Vegetable broth – The primary base of the soup, and flavor.
- Fresh basil leaves – Add it at end before blending, to ensure the freshness and flavors of the basil is locked in.
- Heavy cream – Gives the soup a creamy texture. A little goes a long way, so much isn’t needed.
- Parmesan cheese – Completely optional, but adds an additional robust of flavor.
Tips on preparing
Roast the tomatoes, red bell pepper, carrot, onion and garlic! In my opinion, this soup should not be prepared without roasted fresh veggies. Roasting the veggies will bring those flavors out.
Use a blender to make the soup smooth. I use an immersion hand blender, which is so much easier because there’s no need to transfer the pot contents to a blender. However, if you don’t have an immersion hand blender, then a regular blender will work just fine.
What to serve with tomato basil soup
I think most fan will agree that nothing goes better tomato soup, than a freshly grilled cheese sandwich. But, I’m going to give you a slightly better choice, and recommend my famous seafood grilled cheese sandwich. Thank me later.
Tomato Basil Soup
Equipment
- 5 large roma tomatoes cut into halves
- 1/2 large yellow onion cut into quarters
- 1 red bell pepper optional, cut into quarters
- 1 carrot cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt plus more for veggies
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large glass baking dish, or a parchment line baking, add the tomatoes, optional red bell pepper, onion, carrot and garlic cloves. Drizzle with the grapeseed oil, and lightly season with salt. Stir everything together. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Veggies should be lightly browned on top.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over heat. Add the roasted vegetables, tomato paste, sea salt, black pepper and oregano. Stir together, and bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add contents of the pot, along with the basil leaves to a blender, and blend until smooth. I use an immersion hand mixer, which can also be used without having to remove the contents from the pot. Just be sure to add the basil before doing so.
- Return soup to simmer, and stir in heavy cream and optional Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat, and serve warm.
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