The best homemade tomato soup recipe – fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic are roasted then blended with fresh basil for a rich & flavorful, smooth & creamy tomato soup that’s completely irresistible. Follow my step-by-step photo instructions and watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup better than any restaurant or canned variety!

Tomato soup with grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and this is the best tomato soup recipe you’ll ever make or eat!

This cozy, velvety-smooth soup is the perfect way to warm up on cold winter days. It’s also a delicious recipe to utilize fresh garden tomatoes and basil during the late summer months. 

Follow my step-by-step instructions & watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup from scratch that will have you ditching the canned varieties once and for all!

With over 200 5-star reviews, you know you can’t go wrong! Like this one from Brenda:

Tomato Soup: Ingredients and Substitutions

As always, I recommend making this tomato basil soup recipe exactly as it’s written, however we’ll discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions. 

• Tomatoes. use your favorite variety of ripe tomatoes. You can also use canned or jarred tomatoes.
• Onion. use a sweet yellow or white onion.
• Minced Garlic. use jarred or fresh!
• Olive Oil. avocado oil or canola oil are good substitutes.
• Fresh Basil. This can be omitted but I do not recommend it, it truly adds to the flavor.
• Salted Butter.  Unsalted butter is a great substitute.
• All-purpose flour. To make this tomato soup gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
• Granulated sugar.  honey is a great substitute.
• Vegetable broth. Chicken broth works well!
• Heavy cream. This is optional, but recommended. The cream cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and makes it extra creamy of course. Whole milk or half and half work well too.

How to Make Tomato Soup

This homemade tomato soup recipe is easy to make. As always, we’ll walk through how to make tomato soup step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. 

Begin by lightly spraying a large baking sheet with olive oil. This will ensure the tomato mixture does not stick to the pan when it’s roasted.

Roast the Tomatoes

Then, stir the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

Next, spread the tomato mixture onto a baking sheet in a single layer. It’s important that the tomatoes aren’t overly crowded on the pan or on top of each other so they roast evenly.

Then, roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes. Since the tomatoes shrink in size as they are cooked, it’s important to stir the ingredients once after 15 minutes of roasting to make sure they’re all evenly spread on the pan and roasting well.

After stirring, return the tomatoes to the oven and and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Be sure to broil the tomatoes during the last 2-3 minutes so that some of the tomatoes get lightly charred. This adds a rich depth of flavor that makes this soup taste amazing!

Blend the Tomatoes

One the tomatoes, onion and garlic are roasted, add the mixture to the container of a high-powered blender (Vitamix), making sure to scrape all the contents from the baking sheet into the blender.

Then, add the basil to the tomatoes in the blending container.

Blend the tomato mixture on high speed until silky smooth – which takes about 30 to 60 seconds.

Make a Roux

Once the tomato puree is ready, it’s time to finishing making the tomato soup. We want it nice and thick, and the best way to thicken soups, stews, gravy, etc. is by making a roux. To do this, by melting the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot. 

Then, add the flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine.

Cook until butter and flour mixture is bubbly and slightly thickened (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).

Once the roux is ready, add the broth and sugar to the pot and whisk to combine.

Next, add the blended mixture to the pot and whisk to combine.

If desired (for a creamier soup) add ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream.

Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

Serve

Once the soup is ready, serve it warm with your favorite bread and toppings, and definitely make this grilled cheese sandwich! Here are some suggestions: 

• Add a swirl of cream, a dash of freshly chopped basil or a spoonful of parmesan cheese to the top.
• Bread. dip pieces of crusty no-knead bread or pretzel bread into the tomato basil soup. 
• Make homemade croutons or cornbread croutons and serve on top of the soup.
• These homemade dinner rolls are a great companion to this creamy tomato soup. 
• Have a “soup night” and make some of these soup recipes as well: potato soup (seriously the best), chicken noodle soup, sweet potato soup and butternut squash soup.

Store

Store any leftover roasted tomato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

How to Freeze Tomato Soup

To freeze, let the soup cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it in individually-sized portions or at least in portions that you’d eat in a sitting as a family. 

Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat. 

Tomato Soup Recipe FAQs

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