Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Print Version)

Velvety blend of oven-roasted tomatoes, sweet onions, garlic, and fresh basil for ultimate comfort.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 low-sodium vegetable broth
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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange halved tomatoes, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on the prepared 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 deeply caramelized and onions are tender.
03 - Transfer roasted vegetables and all 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 if using, and sugar if using. Simmer for 5 minutes to marry the flavors.
05 - Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a countertop blender and return to the pot.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. For a silkier texture, strain the soup through a fine sieve.
07 - Ladle hot soup into bowls. Drizzle with cream if desired and garnish with fresh basil leaves and croutons or toasted bread.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The roasting step concentrates all that tomato sweetness into pure umami gold, making it taste nothing like canned soup.
  • It's genuinely simple to make, yet tastes like you spent hours fussing in the kitchen.
  • You can have silky restaurant-quality soup ready in about an hour with barely any active cooking time.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you can just simmer fresh tomatoes in broth—roasting creates a depth of flavor that simmering alone never achieves, and it's truly what separates this from basic tomato soup.
  • Add the basil at the very end, never during roasting or long simmering, or it will turn dark and lose its fresh character entirely.
  • Taste as you go before adjusting salt or sugar; every batch of tomatoes is different, and you want to season for your actual ingredients, not a recipe assumption.
03 -
  • If your immersion blender clogs up with tomato skin, stop and use a countertop blender instead—don't force it, or you'll burn out the motor.
  • Save those tomato roasting juices from the baking sheet; they're liquid gold and should always go into the pot with everything else.
  • Make a big batch and freeze half in portions—you'll have an easy weeknight dinner waiting whenever you need it.
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