Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Roasting the tomatoes brings out the ultimate flavor.
Tomato Basil Soup is an absolute classic for good reason… it’s delicious! And trust me when I say that this particular recipe makes for the ultimate tomato-basil flavor. Thanks to the simple step of roasting the tomatoes and three full cups of fresh basil, it manages to taste both rich and vibrant without being overwhelming. And it’s easy to make too – check out the video below!
The key here is all in the roasting – it intensifies the tomato flavor and brings out their sweetness. Roasting just has a way of making tomatoes even more tomatoey and that’s just the flavor you want out of tomato soup. Three pounds of tomatoes will do it, and a tomato like Roma that isn’t too watery works best. Halve them, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and let them hang out in a hot oven for forty-five minutes.
You can start your work on the other soup components towards the end of the tomatoes’ baking time. That’s just butter, onions, and garlic that soften on the stovetop before they’re joined by the roasted tomatoes and rounded out by some canned tomatoes, plenty of fresh basil, thyme, and chicken stock.
It’s the type of soup that doesn’t use a lot of ingredients but instead relies on really doing justice to the few it does use. It’s so often the case that simple ingredients prepared well make for the most delicious food, and that’s exactly what happens with this soup.
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
- 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes, undrained
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, gently toss tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet in a single layer and roast 45 minutes.
- Towards the end of roasting time, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onions, garlic, red pepper flake, and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions are translucent and starting to brown, 10 minutes.
- Stir in canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and the roasted tomatoes and their juices, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes, uncovered. Season with salt and pepper.
- Using an immersion blender or regular blender, process until smooth. Adjust seasoning as needed, and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.