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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More tomato and soup recipes:
If you like tomatoes as we do, you might also like these popular tomato recipes: Easy Baked Fresh Tomato Casserole, Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas, Spinach and Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes, Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal-Cheddar Biscuits, Classic Southern Tomato Pie, Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam, Southern Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Gazpacho, and Spaghetti with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce.
If you are looking for the best soup recipes, check out these popular choices on my blog: Southern Chicken and Dumplings, Hearty Chicken Chili with a Twist, Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup with Broccoli, and Creamy Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup,
★★★★★ Please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating if you make this recipe. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe with Basil
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes large
- ½ red onion quartered
- 5 cloves garlic whole, peeled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 slices bacon
- 4 cups chicken stock reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- Optional croutons, Cheez-It's or additional chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Core the tomatoes and cut them into quarters. If very large, cut them into eighths.
- 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.
- 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 tomatoes and any juices and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it is smooth and creamy.
- 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.
Notes
- Leftover soup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for several days.
- 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.
In the summer I have an abundance of cherry tomatoes. Can I use them for the soup? If so, what would be the weight of cherry tomatoes?
Thanks,
Jean
Hi Jean, I have never made this soup with cherry tomatoes, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should work. I would guess it would take between three and four cups of sliced cherry tomatoes. If you do try it with cherry tomatoes, please let me know how it goes.
All the best,
Sharon
Omg! This soup is awesome! Even my incredibly picky husband loves it. Yum is the word here.
Hey Kerri,
Thanks so much for leaving your sweet comment. I’m so glad you and Rob enjoyed the soup!
All the best,
Sharon
The recipe does not indicate how much garlic to use.
Yikes! Oh, Robert, I am so sorry! This recipe calls for 5 whole cloves of garlic and I have added it to the recipe. Of course, you can use more or less depending on how much you like garlic. Thank you so much for letting me know!
All my best,
Sharon
Any recipe that has “creamy,” “roasted,” and “tomato” is definitely a hit in my book. Just looking at your photos has made my mouth water. This wintery soup idea has my soul all warm and cozy. Thanks so much for your posts!