This creamy tomato soup recipe is so easy to make and incredibly delicious! The first time I tried it, I knew I could never go back to the canned stuff. It's even keto friendly, low carb, gluten free and vegetarian (make it dairy free and vegan with one simple ingredient swap).
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I love making homemade tomato soup in the late summer and early fall months. It can be made with many different types of tomatoes, so it's great for using up fresh garden produce.
Don't let that harvest go to waste!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Roma tomatoes: or preferred variety.
- Garlic: one whole head of fresh cloves.
- Olive oil: to coat tomatoes and garlic before roasting.
- Vegetable stock: chicken broth also works if you're not worried about keeping this recipe vegetarian/vegan.
- Red wine: my secret ingredient! It really takes this soup to the next level. I typically use cabernet sauvignon but any dry red will work well. You can also opt to leave it out, but it really does add incredible rich flavor.
- White wine vinegar: I use just one tablespoon for a touch of tang. You can use more or less to match your personal preference.
- Herbs & seasonings: bay leaf, fresh basil, Italian seasonings, salt and black pepper.
- Heavy cream: or use coconut cream for dairy free/vegan.
How To Make Tomato Soup From Scratch
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse dry and halve fresh tomatoes, then peel garlic cloves. Transfer both tomatoes and garlic to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper!
Step 2
Use your hands or a large spoon to stir tomatoes until each is well coated in oil, salt and pepper.
Step 3
Arrange tomatoes and garlic in an single layer on your sheet pan. Transfer to preheated oven and roast for approximately 60 minutes.
Step 4
Transfer roasted tomatoes and garlic to a large soup pot on the stove top. Turn heat to medium high. Add broth, red wine, white wine vinegar, bay leaf, fresh basil and Italian seasonings. Bring ingredients to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
Remove bay leaf and puree ingredients together with a touch of heavy cream (if desired). Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!
Handy Tips
Special equipment: I highly recommend purchasing an immersion blender if you don't have one already! You can transfer soup to a regular blender for puréeing, but that's such a hassle. I recently bought this immersion blender and it is AMAZING (plus affordable). Once you get your hands on one of these beauties, you won't ever go back to your old ways. It's so worth it to invest in this incredible tool.
Peel garlic fast: crush a whole head of garlic with your hand. Place all cloves in a jar and screw on the lid. Shake really hard for about 30-60 seconds. This will help loosen peels!
Don't turn up the temp: avoid the temptation to turn up your oven temp and reduce roasting time as you'll likely burn garlic cloves. Low and slow is the way to go for this recipe - just think of it as time to get a few things done around the house!
Tomato skins: tomato skins should blend up pretty well when you purée this soup. However, if you're finding a lot of skin shreds after blending, you can run your soup through a strainer to remove them.
What To Serve With Tomato Soup
This soup is delicious all on it's own or with a piece of crusty bread for dipping! You can also top it with some croutons and a sprinkling of cheddar or parmesan cheese, if desired.
The most frequent pairing for tomato soup? Grilled cheese sandwiches of course! If you're adhering to a keto or low carb diet, try this keto grilled cheese option.
A simple garden salad is another fabulous, healthy side for tomato soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover soup will last 3 to 4 days if stored properly! Allow it to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container before refrigerating.
Yes! Allow soup to cool completely and transfer to a freezer safe, food-storage container. Press to remove as much excess air as possible and freeze for 4-6 months.
If preferred you can freeze your soup in small batches using Souper Cubes, which are great for portioning.
Place thawed or frozen soup in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30-60 second increments until warmed through. You can also reheat your soup in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. The perfect meal for a busy weeknight!
More Cozy Homemade Soups
- Hamburger Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Potato Soup
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- The BEST, Easy Tailgate Crockpot Chili
- Italian Stuffed Pepper Crockpot Soup
- Oven Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Immersion blender *Or regular blender
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. Roma tomatoes *about 20 tomatoes *see note below
- 1 head garlic *see note below
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth *see note below
- ½ cup red wine *see note below
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar *see note below
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- Splash of heavy cream *optional *sub coconut cream to make this soup vegan
Optional toppings:
- Croutons, crushed saltine crackers, shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese.
Recipe notes:
Tomatoes: almost any type of tomato will do. Feel free to sub your favorite variety. Garlic: when roasting garlic and tomatoes, resist the temptation to raise oven temp to reduce bake time. Your garlic will likely burn at a higher temperature. Vegetable broth: chicken stock will also work if you're not worried about keeping this recipe vegetarian/vegan. Red wine: I like to use Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can use whatever you've got on hand. Any dryer, red varietal will do! You can also opt to remove wine from this recipe if desired but it does add tremendous flavor. White wine vinegar: if you like your soup extra tangy, add a bit more!Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Rinse, dry and cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Peel garlic and halve larger cloves.4 lbs. Roma tomatoes, 1 head garlic
- Transfer tomatoes / garlic to a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (I typically use about a teaspoon of each).2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Use your hands or a large spoon to stir tomatoes and garlic until well coated, then arrange in a single layer your sheet pan.
- Place sheet in the oven and roast for 60 minutes.
- Spoon tomatoes and garlic into a large pot on the stove top. Turn heat to medium high.
- Add vegetable broth, red wine, white wine vinegar, bay leaf, fresh basil and Italian seasonings. Bring ingredients to a boil.1 cup vegetable broth, ½ cup red wine, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- Reduce heat down to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf and use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth! If desired, blend in a splash of heavy cream or coconut cream for vegan. (*Tip: you can transfer soup to a regular blender if you don't have an immersion blender).Splash of heavy cream
- Serve and enjoy!
Storing leftovers:
- Allow soup to cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for 4-6 months.
Reheating leftovers:
- Place soup (thawed or frozen) in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30-60 second increments until warmed through. You can also reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Nutrition
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Leslie Watkins says
Oh, girlfriend! This is happening today! Our favorite soup. Lots of tomatoes that needed a recipe today and I’ve never roasted them with garlic for a soup before. My husband will be over the moon!
stacey_olson says
I love it! I also have SO many tomatoes to use up so I'll be making it again in the very near future - I hope you two enjoy!
Melba says
My husband love tomato soup with grill cheese sandwich! I introduced him to vegan cheese and he liked it! I have to let him know about this recipe! Yum!!!
stacey_olson says
Oh yeah! It's perfect with grilled cheese!
Anna Corbitt says
I love the dairy free option, I'm not keto but I am for sure lactose intolerant and love finding dairy free options. Gotta swing by the grocery now to get some tomatoes. 😀