Tomato Basil Soup (with fresh roasted tomatoes!)
This tomato basil soup is made with roasted fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. It has a smooth, rich tomato flavor thanks to a surprising secret ingredient! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Servings 6 servings (1 cup per serving)
Calories 179kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) fresh tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 sweet onion root and stem cut off, papery outer layer removed, and cut into thick wedges
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 ½ cups (591 ml) chicken broth
- ½ cup (1 oz) coarsely chopped or torn fresh basil leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda optional, see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
- Arrange tomatoes (cut-side up) and onion on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle all over with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Transfer to 425F (220C) preheated oven and bake until tomatoes are softened, juicy, and beginning to turn golden (about 45-60 minutes) (onions should be soft and fork-tender as well). Set aside as you cook the garlic.3 lbs fresh tomatoes, 1 sweet onion, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Fresh cracked black pepper
- In a large nonreactive pot (see note) or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.1 Tablespoon salted butter, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- Carefully add cooked tomatoes and onion and their juices to the pot. Add chicken broth and basil and stir well.2 ½ cups chicken broth, ½ cup coarsely chopped or torn fresh basil leaves
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and uniform (alternatively puree the soup in batches in a blender).
- Add thyme and heavy cream and stir. Simmer soup, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes.1 sprig fresh thyme, ¼ cup heavy cream
- Remove thyme sprig. Taste-test soup, add additional salt and pepper if needed and if desired stir in baking soda (see note). Serve by itself or topped with croutons, parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil or cream, etc. Oh, or with a cheesy, melty grilled cheese for dipping!⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Video
Notes
Pot
Use a large stainless steel stock pot or enameled Dutch oven. Avoid using non-enameled cast iron or aluminum or other reactive metal, as it will make the soup taste metallic.Tomatoes
Plum/Roma tomatoes work best for this recipe, or use red vine-ripened tomatoes. The quality of your tomatoes matters a lot here, make sure to use ripe, flavorful ones or the soup will be lacking. If youBaking soda
Baking soda is my secret ingredient! It mellows the flavor of the soup and cuts the acidity. Taste your soup before adding the baking soda, if you love the flavor you can skip this ingredient, but I really love the flavor it adds.Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 808mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2209IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg