Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil

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Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil is bursting with rich, full-bodied tomato goodness and is silky smooth. Full of roasted garden tomatoes, fresh basil, and my secret ingredient, smoky bacon, this flavorful and simple homemade tomato soup is the epitome of comfort food.

Generously seasoned and a snap to prepare, you won’t find a better roasted tomato soup recipe anywhere. Perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner and paired with a grilled cheese sandwich, this age-old combination is a match made in heaven.

A bowl of tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.

This soup is the ultimate one-pot meal; it is easy to prepare and can be made ahead. Like my Irish Potato Soup or Southern Sweet Potato Soup, eating a bowl of creamy roasted tomato soup is like being enveloped in a warm hug. There is also nothing better than soup to take to a sick friend or welcome a new neighbor.

While most folks think of eating soup in cold weather, the truth is any weather is perfect for this tasty, quick, light, and healthy bowl of tomato deliciousness. It’s hands down a much better alternative to canned tomato soup!

Ingredients – here’s what you will need:

Ingredients for roasted tomato soup including fresh tomatoes and basil.

Tomatoes – fresh tomatoes are roasted slowly in the oven until they develop the characteristic, deep concentrated tomato flavor roasted tomatoes are known for.
Onion – is roasted right along with the tomatoes, and it also develops a more concentrated sweet, mild flavor. This recipe calls for red onions, but you can also use white or yellow onions.
Garlic – makes everything better; this is never more true when garlic is roasted, turning the raw pungent garlic bulb into a sweet, caramelized, and aromatic bulb of sweetness personified.
Olive oil – is used to coat the tomatoes, onion, and garlic before roasting.
Bacon – there are not enough adjectives to describe the deep umami flavor the addition of smoky-sweet bacon gives this soup.
Chicken stock – is what turns a pile of roasted vegetables into a liquid pot of deliciousness. Here is a link to my homemade chicken stock if you want to make your own; otherwise, boxed or canned works.
Tomato paste – adds another layer of delicious rich tomato essence.
Heavy cream – turns regular tomato soup into a rich bisque of creamy tomato distinction.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper – are classic seasonings that enhance all of the other flavors and bring them together.
Fresh basil – adds a bright green pop of color and brings a fresh herbiness, a distinctive flavor, and wonderfully aromatic quality to this tasty soup.

Directions – here’s how to make this recipe:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Core the tomatoes and cut them into quarters. If very large, cut them into eighths.

Next, cut the onion into large pieces. (Smaller pieces will burn while being roasted.)
Peel the garlic and leave the cloves whole.
Place the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large bowl and add the olive oil. Toss until all surfaces are coated. Pour out on a rimmed baking sheet or sheet pan and roast the vegetables for 25 minutes. Stir once after about 15 minutes.

Quartered tomatoes, with chopped onions and garlic on a baking sheet.

While the tomatoes are roasting, chop up the bacon and place it in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the bacon until it is almost done and the fat has been rendered.

Add the roasted vegetables and any juices and stir to combine.

Roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic in a Dutch oven.

Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Roasted tomatoes mixed with chicken stock in a Dutch oven.

Add the tomato paste and simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree it until smooth and creamy.

Using an immersion blender to blend up tomato soup.

Add the cream, basil, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Spoon into individual bowls and serve hot. Optional, garnish with a few croutons or Cheez-It’s and additional chopped basil.

Grilled cheese sandwiches with a bowl of roasted tomato soup.

Frequently asked questions:

What kind of tomatoes to use?

You can use any tomatoes you like, including Roma, in this soup recipe. If you use heirloom tomatoes or yellow tomatoes, the soup might be a different color, but it will still be delicious. I don’t recommend using cherry or grape tomatoes.

Do roasted tomatoes taste better?

Roasting is the best way to transform flavorless and mealy winter and mass-produced grocery store tomatoes. Roasting these poor excuses for tomatoes intensifies their sweetness and deepens their flavor so that they are hard to distinguish from fresh summer tomatoes picked straight from the vine.

What to serve with tomato soup besides grilled cheese:

Besides the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese combo, tomato soup makes a great light meal paired with a Twice-Baked Potato or a Twice-Baked Sweet Potato. It also is terrific paired with my Easy Sausage Cheese Bread, Quick and Easy Hoe Cakes, or Texas Toast Garlic Bread.

Of course, you can also pair it with a salad such as my Southern Broccoli Salad with Craisins, Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad, Southern Corn Salad, or Cornbread Salad.

What can I add to tomato soup to make it better?

In addition to roasting the tomatoes, adding salty, sweet, smoky bacon is what elevates the flavor of this soup. It is hand’s down the best tomato soup recipe with fresh tomatoes I have ever had.

How to store leftovers?

Leftover roasted tomato soup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for four days. It also can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight freezer container.

Leftovers can be reheated in a saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Sharon’s tips:

If making this soup ahead, make the soup up to the point of adding the tomato paste and store it covered in the refrigerator for several days. Before serving, add the cream, basil, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium heat until hot, and serve.
Since this recipe only calls for three tablespoons of tomato paste, you might consider purchasing it in a tube instead of a can. With a tube of tomato paste, you can use the amount you need, then store the rest in the refrigerator until you need it again. No more cans of half-used tomato paste lurking in the back of your refrigerator.
Instead of buying chicken stock in a box, I like and recommend jarred Better Than Boullion Reduced Sodium Roasted Chicken Base. You can find it next to regular chicken stock. No, this is not a sponsored post. I like the convenience of using this product and using only the amount of chicken stock I need.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender to puree the soup. However, you will have to do it in batches. Place a dishtowel over the lid to prevent any hot liquid or steam from escaping.
If, by chance, your tomatoes aren’t as sweet as they should be, add a teaspoon of sugar to the soup.