This roasted tomato basil soup recipe has to be one of my families favorite soups. It is frequently requested and always gets rave reviews. A few simple ingredients are all you need to create this outstandingly perfect comfort food! Honestly, this recipe is so easy and so absolutely perfect, once you make it you will never not be able to live without it!

bowl of roasted tomato basil soup with on a wooden cutting board with 3 pieces of baguette bread

Why I love Roasted Tomato Basil Soup so much!

Number one reason is that it is pure comfort food. One of my all time favorite combinations is tomato soup and a simple grilled cheese sandwich. When Ken was a resident we would often eat dinner in the hospital cafeteria. I was always thrilled when tomato soup and grilled cheese was on the menu. The simple days. A few years later, when we moved out of resident housing and I had a working kitchen I came across a recipe for roasted tomato basil soup from Ina Garten. I became obsessed with it. I probably made this homemade tomato basil soup every week for two months. The thing about making a recipe often is eventually it becomes your own. She gave me the perfect launch pad for this unbelievably easy delicious roasted tomato soup recipe. After nearly thirty years of making it I’ve made it my own. I love to make a big batch and put the leftovers in a freezer-safe container so I can pull it out on a cold winter night and make some gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, making for a perfect cozy dinner.

Gather these ingredients

ingredients for roasted tomato basil soup on a butcher block counter top

roma tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
yellow onions
shallot
garlic cloves
canned whole tomatoes
butter
olive oil
chicken stock or chicken broth (you can also use vegetable broth)
sugar
black pepper & salt
red pepper flakes

How to make Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

There are a few steps, and several ingredients, it’s all very simple and there is no way you could ruin it if you tried. It’s all about the fresh garden tomatoes. You want fresh, in season, roma tomatoes for the best flavor. I have made it in the dead of winter and it’s good, but it’s not spectacular like it is when you pick the tomatoes fresh off the vine or buy them from your local farmers market.

roma tomatoes on a baking sheet with garlic, shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash tomatoes and letting them dry on a kitchen towel. Slice one shallot, and crush 3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on your love of garlic) remove the skins. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on a sheet pan, slice tomatoes in half and place them with garlic and sliced shallots on a baking sheet, drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil over the veggies, sprinkle with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.

roasted tomatoes with garlic and shallots on a sheet pan

2. Remove tomatoes from oven and set aside.

basil being chopped on a wooden cutting board

3. Remove basil leaves from stems and rinse in cold water. I use a salad spinner to clean my basil. You can also rinse and lay out on paper towel to dry. Measure out 2 cups of basil leaves. Stack them up and chop. *Feel free to use as much basil as you like. Ina used 4 cups in her recipe.

onion sauteing in dutch oven with a wooden spoon stiring

4. Chop 1 cup yellow onion (approximately 1 small yellow onion). Over medium heat melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or large dutch oven. Add chopped onion, saute until onions are soft.

dutch oven with roasted tomatoes in it, chopped basil is on a wooden cutting board to the top of photo, immersion blender is on the side, a green plaid kitchen towel is under the dutch oven

5. Scrape roasted tomatoes, garlic, scallions, and all the juice from the pan into the pot with the onions. Add 4 cups of chicken stock /broth, can of whole tomatoes in sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes (this can be left out if you do not like any spice), salt, and pepper. Cook all this over medium heat for 15 minutes at a low boil.

6. Turn stove top heat to extra low, add chopped basil.

using immersion blender to blend soup until it is completely incorporated and all one texture

7. If you have an immersion blender use it to blend soup until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, turn stove off, remove pan, and ladle soup into your regular blender. Be careful when blending hot liquid, it can blow the top right off your blender, keep your hand on top of blender cap as you are blending. Blend until soup is smooth and of a consistent texture. Return to soup pot and cook for an additional 15 minutes at a low boil.

pot of roasted tomato basil soup in a red dutch oven with a green plaid kitchen towel off to the left

FAQ’s & Tips

Can I use store bought roma tomatoes? You may if that is all that is available to you. I love to make this soup when I can get fresh tomatoes straight from the farm stand or farmers market. Of course all vegetables are better when they are in season, however if all that is available is store bought roma tomatoes then use those!
Do I have to use roma tomatoes? Roma tomatoes are best for sauces, they have a firm texture and a low water content making them perfect for cooking. However if you have an abundance of another variety in your garden that you want to use there is no reason not to. Follow the same recipe. You may have to add less broth if the tomatoes are watery.
Why do you use sugar in this recipe? The sugar helps tamper down the acidity of the tomatoes. It’s not much but it does make a big difference.
Tip 1: If you have an abundance of other fresh herbs in your garden use them in this soup. Fresh thyme and oregano are are perfect with the basil. You only need 1 tablespoon of one or both.
Tip 2: You can have this soup any time of year if you freeze it! Allow soup to cool completely and scoop into freezer-safe containers or freezer zip-loc bags. Leave some space in containers, as the soup will expand as it freezes. Freeze for up to 6 months.

bowl of roasted tomato basil soup with a bowl of parmesan in upper left hand corner of the photo and a baguette wrapped in a kitchen towel in top of photo. spoon on tan napkin to the right of the bowl. soup is garnished with pepper and basil leaves

Best way to serve Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

The perfect way to serve this soup is with a giant platter of grilled cheese sandwiches!
My second favorite way to eat this soup is with additional basil, a bowl of freshly shaved parmesan cheese, and chunky homemade croutons or garlic bread.
Of course a crusty loaf of warm bread is always a good thing to serve with soup!
Pesto: A dollop of homemade pesto is never a bad idea with roasted tomato basil soup. Dollop pesto in your hot soup, give it a swirl, and dunk in your gooey grilled cheese sandwich. What could be better?

This is a recipe that gathers people. It’s even better the next day making it the perfect recipe to make when you are entertaining. You can get all the work done the day before and enjoy your guests when they arrive! I would love to hear if you make this recipe, share it, give it 5 stars below on the recipe card if you love it! XO Sheila