Ina Garten Roasted Tomato Soup
The best-rated Roasted Tomato Basil Soup. This recipe relies on fresh tomatoes and herbs rather than cream or milk. It’s rich and full of flavor.
Try other recipes from Ina Garten: Ina Garten Scalloped Potato Recipe, Ina Garten’s Tuna Salad, or Ina Garten’s Turkey Lasagna Recipe.
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More Soup Recipes! Classic comfort soups, such as Sicilian Chicken Soup or One-Pot Chicken Stew and fresh tomato basil soup never get old.
This is a top-rated recipe with over 700+ comments across the web and it’s the best tomato basil soup recipe for a reason.
I never cared too much about tomato soup until I stumbled upon Ina Garten’s fresh tomato basil soup recipe years ago. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made it since then. It’s become our family’s go-to recipe, a comforting staple that never fails to satisfy.
This soup could not be more basic but what makes it so special is the fact that the tomatoes are roasted before simmered with fresh basil and savory thyme. Resulting in a thick, rich, and flavorful soup like no other.
This recipe is a game-changer, especially if you’ve never been a fan of tomato soup.
WATCH: How to Roast Tomatoes for Soup
Roasted Tomato Soup Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Plum tomatoes: Forms the base of the soup.
- Aromatics: Yellow onions and garlic add a sweet, savory flavor, and extra depth.
- Olive oil and unsalted butter: These sauté the onion and garlic, creating a rich base.
- Canned tomatoes: Adds volume to the soup and enhances the vibrant tomato flavor.
- Herbs and spices: Crushed red pepper flakes, fresh basil leaves, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Chicken stock: Thins out the broth. Use store-bought or homemade chicken stock.
Roasted tomato soup is all about the fresh tomatoes, which are oven roasted until sweet and caramelized, then simmered in chicken stock with ton of fresh basil. Not to mention the crushed red pepper flakes, which add a slight kick to the soup.
The soup is pureed in a blender instead of passing it through a food mill. You can also use a large food processor or even better an immersion blender.
The outcome is perfection! Super creamy (but without the cream) with ton of flavor from the fresh basil, garlic, and thyme.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
- Roast the Tomatoes – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and toss with 1/4 cup olive oil. Layer on the baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 45 minutes.
- Cook the Soup – Heat a large dutch-oven over medium heat. Add butter and remaining olive oil. When butter has melted, add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add a pinch of salt, stir, and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, roasted tomatoes, including the juices, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered.
- Puree and Serve – Transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and drizzle of cream or dollop of sour cream. And don’t forget grilled cheese. It’s our absolute favorite.
Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe Add Ins
Once you master this basic fresh tomato basil soup recipe, you can dress it up with additional flavors, such as:
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme
- Splash of something creamy
- Drizzle of fresh pesto
- Croutons
What to Serve with Tomato Basil Soup?
- Cheese Bread Puffs – made in a blender and kids love them!
- Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich – classic tomato soup side
- Avocado Caesar Salad with Cucumbers – perfect soup combo
- Parmesan Cheese Crisps – great way to add some crunch to the soup
- Grilled Steak Salad – it’s a delicious summer pairing
- Italian Prosciutto Sandwich – soup and sandwich is a great pairing
Freezing Tomato Soup
What’s great about this soup is that you’re guaranteed a bowl of fresh tomato basil soup any time a craving strikes as it freezes so well. Here’s how you do it:
- Cool the soup completely.
- Ladle into quart size freezer bags, about 2/3 full.
- Seal tightly, squeezing out as much air as possible.
- Label, date, and lay bag flat to freeze.
- Thaw soup overnight in the refrigerator, reheat and serve.
These containers are also a great alternative to bags. Just leave about an inch of space between the soup and the container’s lid.
Tip! Hold back on any dairy or non-dairy milk or cream when freezing soup as it can easily separate when rewarmed. Simply add it in when reheating the soup.
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Recipe FAQs
We roast tomatoes for 45 minutes when using them for soup. The key is to roast them just long enough for them to soften and caramelize in the oven.
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If you try Roasted Tomato Soup, please leave a star rating and let me know how you like the recipe in the comments below.
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Ina Garten’s Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
The best roasted tomato basil soup recipe on the internet! This recipe relies on fresh tomatoes and herbs rather than cream or milk. It’s rich and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes, with juice
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
- 4 cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Gently toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and layer on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 45 minutes.
- In a large dutch-oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions are translucent and start to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, roasted tomatoes, including the juices, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered.
- Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve with drizzle of cream or dollop of sour cream, fresh parmesan, and side of grilled cheese.
Notes
adapted from the Food Network by Ina Garten.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 186.4 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 11.2 mg
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
It’s a good recipe and is tasty, however, I do agree with others in that it tastes very much like my homemade marinara sauce. I shouldn’t be too surprised as the only real difference between how I make my sauce and this soup, was the add of chicken broth. Next time I will add some heavy cream to try to make it less marinara like.
I was excited to try this recipe. When I made it, it ended up tasting like marinara sauce instead of tomato soup. What can I do in the future to avoid or fix this issue?
Thanks!
Hi Jennifer…hmmm it should not taste like marinara at all! You can always add a little acidity such as balsamic vinegar, some type of creamy component such as half and half, heavy cream, ricotta cheese, or parmesan. I hope that helps!
This is the best tomato soup I have ever made. The comments saying it tastes like Marinara sauce confuse me.
This soup is amazing, I made it for the first time last season. I used amish paste tomatoes from my garden and followed the recipe from there. I struggle with the garlic because I don’t know how big a clove shoud be, but I have found that the more I use the better I like it, and i t burns for hours in my tummy. 🤗 I just now made my first batch for this season, I use my vitamix so it’s velvety not chunky. I had a small bowl before I added the chicken broth and canned tomatoes and now I’m torn. It was so much better to me without those items. (How can that be, it is perfect just as the recipe is written) It was thicker, but wow! I’m going to pressure can the soup I just finished making and make a new batch to freeze. This time I’m stopping before adding the broth and canned tomatoes. I am then going to roast some snack peppers in olive oil and puree them to add to my serving for dinner. I feel like this soup can be endlessly adjusted to make so many different amazing soups. Thank you, I never dreamed I would like fresh tomato soup without sugar. This is the best!
The best I ever made!!!