Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (Printable view)

Silky Italian soup featuring oven-roasted tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil blended into aromatic comfort.

# What You 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 Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange halved tomatoes, onion quarters, and garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Roast for 35-40 minutes until tomatoes are caramelized and onions are tender.
04 - Transfer roasted vegetables and accumulated 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, purée soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a countertop blender and return to pot.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. For silkier consistency, strain soup through a fine sieve.
08 - Pour soup into bowls and drizzle with cream. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and croutons or toasted bread if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the actual hands-on time is laughably short.
  • Roasting the vegetables brings out a natural sweetness that makes you forget you're eating something this healthy.
  • One pot, one blender, zero fuss—yet somehow it impresses everyone who tries it.
02 -
  • Don't blend while the soup is too hot or it'll splatter everywhere—learned that one the hard way and spent twenty minutes wiping the ceiling.
  • Adding the basil after blending instead of before keeps it vibrant green and tasting fresh; blend it in and watch it turn army green and taste muted.
03 -
  • Don't waste time peeling garlic cloves—buy pre-peeled ones and let the oven do all the work while you rest.
  • If you don't own an immersion blender, this is the moment to consider getting one; it makes soups like this effortless and keeps you from pouring hot soup into a blender in dangerous batches.
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