Cozy up with a steaming bowl of homemade tomato basil soup! Made with fresh tomatoes and basil, this recipe is easy, nourishing, and delicious.
During the transition from summer to fall, there’s nothing I crave more than this tomato basil soup recipe. Apples and squash are starting to pop up at the farmers market, but you can still find ruby red tomatoes and bunches of basil mixed in among them. I’ll be eating these summer veggies for as long as they’re at the market, even as the temperature starts dropping and I find myself hungry for warming bowls of soup instead of salads.
So at this time of year, I start making this tomato basil soup. I roast a market haul of fresh tomatoes to concentrate their savory flavor. Then, I simmer them with aromatic veggies, thyme, and a splash of tangy balsamic vinegar. Last but not least, I blend it all together with a big handful of basil.
The resulting soup is totally vegan, but thanks to the blended veggies, it’s still creamy and comforting. The roasted tomatoes give it a rich umami flavor, and the basil adds a lovely fresh finish. If you can, make a double batch. Eat half hot off the stove with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich or hunk of crusty bread. Then, freeze the rest to enjoy on a fall or winter night when you’re longing for a taste of summer.
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this roasted tomato basil soup:
- Roma tomatoes – Just like in my homemade salsa recipe, the tomato variety you use here matters. If you can’t find roma tomatoes, substitute another variety of small plum tomatoes. Larger heirloom or salad tomatoes are too watery for this recipe.
- Onion and garlic – They add savory depth of flavor.
- Carrot – It makes this soup nice and creamy without any nuts or heavy cream.
- Balsamic vinegar – For tang!
- Thyme leaves – For fresh, aromatic flavor.
- Fresh basil – You can’t make tomato basil soup without it! I blend in the basil right at the end so that it keeps its fresh flavor and flecks the soup with green.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It gives the soup body and richness.
- Vegetable broth – It creates the soup’s flavorful base.
- And sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
Making this tomato basil soup recipe is the perfect activity for a cool September afternoon. Your kitchen will fill with the scent of roasting tomatoes, simmering thyme, and fresh basil. Suffice it to say, when the soup’s done, you’ll be more than ready to eat.
First, roast the tomatoes. Slice them in half vertically and arrange them cut-side-up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Then, roast them at 350° for an hour, until they’re still juicy but starting to shrivel.
Next, sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion, carrot, and garlic in a large pot over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until they soften.
Then, simmer. Add the roasted tomatoes, broth, vinegar, and thyme leaves to the pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Finally, blend! Allow the tomato basil soup to cool slightly. Transfer it to a blender and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.) When the soup is smooth, add the basil leaves and pulse until just combined. Enjoy!
Tomato Basil Soup Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to eat, garnish your tomato basil soup with fresh basil leaves. If you want to add something for crunch, pile on a few homemade croutons or roasted chickpeas. A drizzle of olive oil or some freshly grated Parmesan cheese would be delicious too.
Enjoy the soup with homemade focaccia or good crusty bread for lunch, or pair it with a sandwich, salad, or pasta for a heartier meal. Most often, Jack and I eat it with grilled cheese sandwiches, but it’d be great with a Caprese sandwich or avocado toast as well. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, serve it with my Caesar salad, chopped salad, quinoa salad, or broccoli salad. It also makes a wonderful starter for any of these pasta recipes:
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Easy Pesto Pasta
- Homemade Mac and Cheese or Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Creamy Vegan Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
For more yummy pasta ideas, check out this post!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this homemade tomato basil soup, try one of these delicious soups next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Curried Lentil Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup
- Or any of these 25 Best Soup Recipes!
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds roma tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped carrots
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 loose-packed cup basil leaves, more for garnish
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes cut-side up on the baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour or until the edges just start to shrivel and the insides are still juicy.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, vinegar, and thyme leaves and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary. Blend until smooth. Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- Garnish the soup with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread.
This soup is excellent! I made it exactly as written except that in order to make it healthier, I merely spritzed the tomato halves with olive oil prior to roasting them. I also omitted all the oil while sautéing the onion, carrot, and garlic. While the oil would no doubt create a creamier mouth feel, it’s simply not needed. It was delicious as it was and the oil was not missed, especially since I have never made it woth oil, and almost always omit the oil in recipes. All that fresh basil truly elevates the dish. Don’t skip it! I was very hungry at the time, and think I could have eaten the entire recipe in one sitting. I refrained however, and filled a 24-oz Mason jar with the remainder for tomorrow. That said, I have enough basil for another batch so am going to purchase more tomatoes and make the recipe again, freezing it as a healthy and filling first course for future whole food, plant exclusive meals. Thanks a million for the wonderful recipe!
Approximately 10 plump Roma tomatoes equals 2.5 lbs. Grab an extra one or two if unsure. Unlike the other person who replied, I understand why you asked. Some stores, such as Trader Joe’s, do not have produce scales; and the majority of people do not have food scales in their home.
hi, can I substitute balsamic vinegar with balsamic glaze?
Hi Ika, I would skip the balsamic vinegar and only add a tiny bit of the balsamic glaze at the end if you feel like you would like your soup more sweet or tangy. I think the concentrated glaze might taste more overpowering than plain balsamic vinegar. Hope that helps!
I used my immersion blender to get a consistency with small tomato bits and both my husband and myself thought it was excellent.
I’m so glad you both loved it!
Trying it tonight and can’t wait! Any suggestions on how to reheat left overs? Is the microwave okay?
yep, you can reheat it in the microwave!
Made 2/3 portion of this soup and it is delicious, even without thyme (because I didn’t have any). Wondering if there is a good substitute for thyme for this soup. I used water and mushroom bouillon powder for the vegetable stock, and it is packed with umami flavor.
Hi Ana, I just make it without the thyme when I don’t have it – I think the basil provides plenty of herbal flavor on it’s own!
Hi. Made a “test” batch for an upcoming luncheon. Very delicious! Question- I used purée on my blender but it’s not silky smooth, there is still a little texture. Is this correct?
Hi Gail, I do like a little texture, it could vary depending on your blender (a Vitamix blender would get it more smooth), but it’s really a preference.
Omg are you kidding me ? This is so good!!!! I cannot wait for my family to taste.
Hi Stephanie, I’m so glad you loved it!
I made it exactly as the recipe says and it’s perfect! Served with sourdough grilled cheese for the ultimate comfort meal
Yum! I’m so glad you loved it.
I’ve just made this with some of hubby’s home grown crop of massive cherry tomatoes. It tastes really delicious. We’ll have it for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jacqui – can you please tell me how you prepped the cherry tomatoes? I have a bunch to use!! Thank you!!
My neighbor brought me a ton of plum tomatoes from her garden. I used your recipe (no changes) and it was wonderful! Thank you for posting!
Is this soup good to freeze?
Haven’t made this yet but sounds delicious! Can this be frozen? I make food for my elderly mother to have in her freezer ready to eat.
Hi Erika, yep, it freezes well!
Hi Margaret, yes, it freezes well.
I made this tomato basil soup with my home grown Romas and basil. I did not have any carrots so I roasted a poblano pepper with the tomatoes and added that instead. It is soooooo yummy. I think it was even better the next day reheated as soon many soups and casseroles are. Thanks!
ooh I love that idea – I’m going to try that!
Never made tomato soup before because I’m not a tomato fan but this was amazing. Thanks for this amazing recipe 😊
I’m so glad you loved it!
Do you remove the tomato skins before adding?
Hi Judy, I don’t – the blender makes the soup smooth even with the skins.
I didn’t, and it was delicious with no skins detectable after blending. A lot of the nutrients are in the skin of vegetables.
I usually don’t like tomato soup but this is fabulous!! I had an overabundance of fresh tomatoes (beefmaster) and basil from the garden and I used those instead of roma.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Is there something that I can use instead of balsamic vinegar?
Sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar would be my next choices, but balsamic is best with tomatoes.
This recipe is delicious! I had fun making it with my daughter using our tomatoes and basil from the garden. The soup was really flavorful. This is definitely a make-again recipe!
As always, whenever I use your recipes as a guideline for whatever I’m cooking, it is delicious! I would’ve never thought to add balsamic vinegar to tomato soup! So yummy 😋 we used 4-5 large tomatoes & some bell peppers from our garden & bone broth (much less than called for in recipe) in place of veggie broth
Hi Connie, I’m so glad you’ve been loving the recipes!
This was delicious even though I didn’t have fresh basil (I used dried). Romas were purchased in March and seemed to be perfectly tasty to me. I blended with immersion blender right in the pot. So easy. Next time I make it, I’m definitely using fresh basil and about half of the balsamic vinegar. I had no idea this soup could be so easy! Thank you L&L!
Side note for those asking about nutrition: Enter exact weight (in grams or ounces) of each ingredient into a nutrition calculator. Then weigh the entire finished product in grams or ounces (minus the container). That total is the number of servings. So, if each gram or ounce is 3 calories, and you eat 100 grams of soup, it will be 300 calories and the protein, sodium, fat, fiber, etc. will be calculated also. I do this in MyFitnessPal, but there are LOTS of nutrition calculators.
Hi Cindy, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
I have made this soup several times and LOVE it. Best tomato basil soup recipe I’ve come across. I actually do a lot of cooking and meal prepping for clients and was wondering if you have any macros / easy nutrition numbers on it? A lot of health conscious friends and myself want to know. If not no worries, I will always use this recipe no matter what!