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Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
4.9 from 72 votes

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup combines oven-roasted Roma and grape tomatoes, sliced onions, and garlic with fresh basil and vegetable broth to create a savory, slightly sweet soup with aromatic herb notes. Roasting intensifies the tomato flavor, while blending results in a smooth, comforting texture. Optional grilled cheese croutons add richness and texture contrast for serving.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 5 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 lbs Roma tomato halved lengthwise
  • 1 1/4 lbs grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
  • 4 1/2 Tbsp olive oil divided
  • salt and black pepper
  • 8 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
  • 2 yellow onion sliced just under 1/2-inch thick, small
  • 1 1/2 cups (26g) lightly packed basil divided, fresh
  • 5 cups vegetable broth low-sodium
  • grilled cheese sandwich or grilled cheese croutons (optional), see notes, prepared

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 3 Tbsp olive oil then season with salt and pepper (place Roma halves cut side upright).
  2. Place onion slices and garlic on a rimmed half sheet and toss brush with remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil on all sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Place baking sheet with tomatoes and half sheet with onions in oven side by side and roast garlic 15 minutes (or until just golden) and remove, roast onions 30 - 35 minutes (until edges are golden brown) and remove, and tomatoes 40 - 45 minutes until slightly browned.
  4. Pour tomatoes, onions and garlic into a large pot. Add vegetable broth and about 3/4 of the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  5. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
  6. Blend soup with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender (only fill blender half full and remove center insert and cover with a kitchen towel). Serve warm topped with remaining basil (chopped).

Notes

  • Use hearty bread and butter it well when making grilled cheese to achieve a golden, crisp crust.
  • Grilled cheese can be cut into cubes as croutons to add texture directly to the soup.
  • For creamier soup, add ½ to 1 cup heavy cream before serving.
  • Peeling tomatoes before roasting is optional depending on texture preference.
  • Remove basil sprigs before blending to avoid bitter herb pieces.
  • Recipe yields about 9 cups of soup; grilled cheese is served separately.