Homemade Tomato Basil Soup Recipe – Made With Fresh Tomatoes

Now that tomatoes are fresh from the garden or Farmer’s market, why not take advantage of all those tomatoes and turn them into homemade tomato basil soup? It is very easy to make and it taste so much better than canned soup or the soup that you get at a restaurant.

In fact, with just a few ingredients, you will be amazed at how much flavor this soup has. Of course you will need fresh tomatoes for this recipe.

However, you will also need garlic cloves, onions and a few herbs and spices that are commonly found this time of the year. Then to finish off the soup you will need broth, water or milk.

I prefer to use vegetable broth to add more depth to the soup. However, you can use plain water to thin out the consistency as well.

Or if you prefer a creamy soup, use milk as the liquid base. All three options are delicious and it can be made to your taste preferences.

However, what is different about this recipe and my classic Homemade Tomato Soup recipe is how the tomatoes, garlic and onions are prepared. It is these two simple techniques that take this soup to the next level of deliciousness.

Roasting Tomatoes & Garlic

You could technically make tomato basil soup by cooking down the tomatoes on the stovetop and then adding the other ingredients. However, roasting the tomatoes in the oven before they get added to the soup will give it so much more flavor.

Yes, it does add more time to the recipe, but the difference in flavor is well worth it. And since you already have the tomatoes in the oven, it is a great time to add the garlic cloves to the baking sheet as well.

Unlike raw garlic, roasted garlic doesn’t have any sort of bite or harshness of flavor. Instead, once roasted the flavor becomes sweet, mellow and rich which balances out the tart and tangy flavor of the tomatoes.

Caramelize The Onions

However, this recipe also uses caramelized onions to add a little natural sweetness to the homemade tomato basil soup. While the tomatoes and garlic are in the oven, use that time to saute the onion slices.

Although be sure to do this over low heat so that the onions don’t burn. The onions need time to break down to release their sugar slowly and caramelize.

As a general rule of thumb, it should take about 20 minutes for the onions to transition from raw to sweet. Then all that is left to do is blend the ingredients together.

Blend The Ingredients

Once the tomatoes and garlic come out of the oven, transfer them to a large food processor. I use my Hamilton Beach 12 cup Duo Food Processor so that I have no worry of the ingredients splashing out of the container.

However, if you don’t have a large food processor, you can use a high speed blender instead. Just be sure that you only fill it 1/2 full so that the liquid doesn’t expand out the top.

Although you could also add everything to the pot and use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients. But I find that using my immersion blender is better for larger batches of soup like my Instant Pot Tomato Soup recipe.

Start by blending the tomatoes and garlic. Then add the caramelized onions and blend them into the mixture.

It is best to blend the ingredients several times rather than all at once. This will allow you to check the soup several times so that the mixture is pureeing adequately.

Add Basil & Oregano

Now it is time to add even more flavor to the tomato soup with fresh basil and dry oregano. You will need 1/2 cup of packed fresh basil leaves.

If you don’t grow your own basil you can find basil leaves in the fresh produce section of most large grocery stores. There is no need to chop the leaves as the food processor or blender will do that for you.

If you don’t have fresh basil substitute1 Tablespoon of dry basil. Although using fresh basil is the best option in terms of taste and texture.

Finally, add a little dried oregano to the soup. This spice pairs perfectly with the other ingredients, giving you that classic flavor.

Thinning The Homemade Tomato Soup

Once you have your soup ingredients pureed and mixed together it is time to thin the soup out to the desired consistency. Depending on the type of tomatoes the amount of liquid required will vary.

When using Roma, plum or paste tomatoes you will need to add more liquid than if using standard slicing tomatoes. That is because paste tomatoes have thicker walls and less liquid than the tomatoes that you use to top your hamburgers.

Start by adding 1 cup of liquid to the puree mixture. Stir and heat. Then if you need to add more liquid you can do so 1/2 cup at a time until the soup consistency is how you prefer.

What To Serve With Homemade Tomato Basil Soup

• Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
• Cobb Salad
• Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich
• Tuna Melt Sandwich

Homemade Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half (25 medium)
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup packed basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ cup vegetable broth, more to thin as desired
• Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Place tomato halves and peeled garlic cloves on the baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

While the tomatoes are roasting add ½ tablespoon olive oil to a large pot and place over medium heat. Add the onion slices and toss to coat the onions with olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes or until the onions have turn golden brown in color.

Remove the tomatoes and garlic from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a food processor or high speed blender and puree until smooth.

Add the caramelized onions and basil leaves to the food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

Transfer the mixture back into the pot and place the heat to medium-low. Stir in the oregano, broth, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve warm or let cool and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Enjoy! Mary

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