Tomato Basil Soup

A creamy, thick, and delicious freezer-friendly recipe with deep flavors from roasted tomatoes and garlic, fresh basil, Italian seasoning, and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes to awaken your tastebuds. Soul-warming soups are fantastic year-round, with or without accompaniments!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 184kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2½-3 pounds (1-1.5kg) plump Roma tomatoes
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
1 teaspoon (2-3g) freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for drizzling
1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
½ red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup (20-25g) packed basil leaves
3 cups (700ml) liquid (water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth)
1 teaspoon (2g) Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon (4g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (2g) red pepper flakes
½ cup (120ml) cream or coconut milk (optional)
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter or oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.
Wash tomatoes properly and slice them in half or cut them into quarters, depending on their size. Smaller tomatoes can be left whole.
Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Generously season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
Roast tomatoes for 40-50 minutes or until the skins soften and char slightly. Whole tomatoes will start bursting and oozing juice. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Add roasted tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, broth, Italian seasoning, sugar, and red pepper flakes to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. (You can carefully pour the ingredients in batches in a countertop blender if you don't have an immersion blender.)
Using an immersion or handheld blender, carefully blend on high. Puree until your soup reaches the desired consistency (smooth or chunky).
Return to the heat, add the cream if using, and do a taste test to adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil and croutons if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

For extra roasty goodness, roast the red pepper and onions with the tomatoes and garlic.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but feel free to add a flour or cornstarch slurry for extra thickness.
Another thickener is adding a cooked potato before pureeing. A ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese won't hurt.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used

Nutrition