Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Printer-friendly)

Silky Italian soup with oven-roasted tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. Restaurant-quality comfort in 1 hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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
13 - Croutons or toasted bread, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange halved tomatoes, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until tomatoes are caramelized and onions are tender.
04 - Transfer roasted vegetables and all juices to a large pot. Add vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
05 - Stir in fresh basil leaves, butter, and sugar if using. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors.
06 - Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a countertop blender and return to pot.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. For silkier texture, strain soup through a fine sieve.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with cream. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and croutons or toasted bread if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The oven does most of the heavy lifting while you read or do something else, so it feels less like cooking and more like you're getting away with something.
  • Fresh basil stirred in at the end tastes nothing like dried basil, and the moment you smell it is when you'll know why this soup tastes restaurant-quality.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free without any sacrifice or weird substitutions, just honest ingredients working together.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step thinking you'll save time; this is where all the flavor lives, and boiling tomatoes just gives you tomato-flavored water.
  • Add the basil after cooking, not before, because heat turns it dark and bitter, and you want that fresh, bright note that makes people ask what's in it.
03 -
  • Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and you'll avoid that stuck-on cleanup that makes you regret everything; it's worth the extra 30 seconds.
  • Save a few fresh basil leaves to scatter on top—it gives people a visual reminder of what they're about to taste and makes the whole bowl more inviting.
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