Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup (with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil)
Roasted Tomatoes Make This Soup So Flavorful
There is nothing quite like a bowl of creamy homemade tomato soup, especially when there is a grilled cheese sandwich involved! This version starts with fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, and whole heads of garlic that are roasted until soft and caramelized. Roasting the vegetables first brings out their natural sweetness and gives the finished soup a deeper, richer flavor.
Once roasted, everything goes into a Dutch oven with seasonings, chicken bouillon, balsamic vinegar, and heavy cream before being blended until smooth with an Immersion Blender. Fresh basil and Parmesan finish it off for a creamy roasted tomato soup that is rich and comforting without being complicated.
And don’t worry about buying one specific variety of tomato for this recipe. Roma tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, garden tomatoes, or even a mixture of different varieties will work. The important thing is starting with ripe, flavorful tomatoes and having approximately 3½ pounds total.
Serve this creamy tomato basil soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for a classic comfort food meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients for Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup
Here’s what you’ll need to make this roasted tomato soup:
Fresh tomatoes: You’ll need approximately 3½ pounds of ripe tomatoes. Don’t get too hung up on the variety. Roma tomatoes are great, but vine-ripened tomatoes, garden tomatoes, or a combination of several varieties work just as well. This is actually a great recipe to make when you have several different types of tomatoes that need to be used.
Sweet onions: Roasting the onions alongside the tomatoes brings out their sweetness and adds another layer of flavor to the soup.
Garlic: Two whole heads of garlic may sound like a lot, but roasting completely changes the flavor. The garlic becomes soft, mellow, and slightly sweet rather than sharp.
Olive oil: The olive oil is divided between roasting the vegetables and the Dutch oven.
Salt and black pepper: Simple seasoning lets the roasted tomato flavor shine.
Dried oregano: Adds savory Italian-inspired flavor that pairs naturally with tomatoes and basil.
Chicken bouillon: I use Knorr chicken bouillon along with water to create the broth for this soup. You can substitute prepared chicken broth if you prefer.
Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
Balsamic vinegar: Just a tablespoon adds acidity and depth without making the soup taste like vinegar.
Heavy cream: This is what turns the roasted tomato mixture into a rich and creamy tomato soup.
Fresh basil: Fresh basil adds brightness to the finished soup and gives us that classic tomato-basil combination.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the soup and adds a savory, salty finish.
How to Choose Tomatoes for Homemade Tomato Soup
You do not need a specific type of tomato to make homemade tomato soup. What matters more is the quality and ripeness of the tomatoes.
Look for tomatoes that are ripe, fragrant, and have good color. They should have a little give when gently squeezed but shouldn’t be overly soft or mushy.
You’ll need about 3½ pounds of tomatoes, and it’s completely fine to mix varieties. If you have a few Roma tomatoes, several tomatoes on the vine, and a couple of big garden tomatoes, use them all. Because we’re roasting and blending everything together, having perfectly uniform tomatoes isn’t important.
If you’re making this during tomato season, it’s also a great way to use an assortment of tomatoes from the garden or farmers market.
How to Make Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
*printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this page
Step One: Prepare the Tomatoes and Onions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Use a good set of Knives (I use the Ninja Never Dull) and a sturdy Cutting Board to quarter the tomatoes and roughly chop the sweet onions.
Arrange the tomatoes and onions on a large Griddle Sheet Pan. You want enough room for the vegetables to roast rather than being packed tightly together and steaming.
Step Two: Prepare the Garlic
Slice just enough off the top of each head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place both heads of garlic on the sheet pan with the tomatoes and onions.
Drizzle the vegetables and garlic with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Alternatively, you can peel the individual garlic cloves before roasting and scatter them among the tomatoes and onions. Either method works, so use whichever is easier for you.
Step Three: Roast the Vegetables
Roast the tomatoes, onions, and garlic at 400°F for about 1 hour.
The tomatoes should be very soft and juicy, the onions should have some caramelization around the edges, and the garlic should be completely tender.
Don’t leave those flavorful juices behind on the pan. They’ll go into the soup along with the roasted vegetables.
Step Four: Chop the Fresh Basil
While the roasted vegetables cool slightly, chop the fresh basil.
How finely you chop it is really a matter of preference. A finer chop means you’ll have fewer noticeable pieces of basil throughout the finished soup. If you like seeing and tasting little pieces of fresh basil, leave it a little coarser.
Step Five: Grate the Parmesan
Use a Cheese Grater to freshly grate the Parmesan.
Freshly grated Parmesan is ideal here because it melts smoothly into the warm soup. Have a little extra ready if you’d like to sprinkle Parmesan over each bowl before serving.
Step Six: Transfer the Roasted Vegetables to the Dutch Oven
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Transfer the roasted tomatoes and onions into the pot along with all of those juices from the sheet pan.
Let the heads of roasted garlic cool enough that you can comfortably handle them before attempting to squeeze out the cloves. The inside of roasted garlic can stay extremely hot even after it comes out of the oven, so don’t rush this step.
Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft roasted cloves from their skins directly into the Dutch oven.
If you peeled the cloves before roasting, you can simply transfer the roasted garlic from the sheet pan into the pot with the other vegetables.
Step Seven: Add the Cream and Seasonings
Add the water, dried oregano, chicken bouillon, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and heavy cream to the Dutch oven.
Stir everything together before blending.
The balsamic vinegar and sugar play different roles here. The balsamic adds a little acidity and depth, while the sugar helps balance the natural acidity of the fresh tomatoes.
Step Eight: Blend Until Smooth
Use an Immersion Blender to blend everything directly in the Dutch oven until the soup is smooth and creamy.
Take your time and move the blender around the pot so you don’t miss any larger pieces of tomato, onion, or roasted garlic.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a traditional countertop blender. Just work in batches and use caution when blending hot liquids.
Step Nine: Add the Basil and Parmesan
Stir the chopped fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan into the blended soup.
Keep the heat on medium-low and gently warm the soup until the Parmesan has melted. Avoid bringing it to a hard boil once the cream has been added.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as needed. Because the saltiness of chicken bouillon and Parmesan can vary, it’s best to taste before adding additional salt.
If the tomato soup is thicker than you’d like, add a little water or chicken broth until you reach your preferred consistency.
What to Serve with Homemade Tomato Soup
I’m not sure there’s a better combination than creamy tomato soup and a crispy grilled cheese sandwich.
You can use the same Griddle Sheet Pan you used for roasting the vegetables to make grilled cheese sandwiches to serve alongside the soup. Cut them into halves or strips for dipping right into the bowl.
A simple green salad would also work well if you want something fresh alongside the rich, creamy soup.
Tips for the Best Creamy Tomato Soup
Don’t worry about using one variety of tomato. Aim for approximately 3½ pounds of ripe, flavorful tomatoes and use whatever combination you have available.
Give the vegetables the full roasting time. Those browned and caramelized edges contribute a lot of flavor to the finished soup.
Make sure the roasted garlic has cooled enough to safely handle before squeezing the cloves from the skins.
Don’t discard the liquid on the sheet pan. Transfer all of those roasted tomato juices into the Dutch oven.
Chop the basil according to the texture you prefer. The finer you chop it, the less noticeable the individual pieces of basil will be in the finished soup.
Freshly grate the Parmesan rather than using pre-shredded cheese for the smoothest melt.
Finally, taste before adding more salt. Between the chicken bouillon and Parmesan, you may find the soup is already seasoned exactly the way you like it.
How to Store and Reheat Tomato Soup
Allow leftover creamy tomato soup to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat the soup gently in a saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Since the soup contains heavy cream and Parmesan, there’s no need to bring it to a boil.
If the soup thickens after being refrigerated, simply stir in a splash of water or chicken broth while reheating until it reaches the consistency you like.
Can I Make This Tomato Soup Vegetarian?
Yes. The only ingredient you’ll need to change is the chicken bouillon.
Replace it with your favorite vegetable bouillon or use 1½ cups of prepared vegetable broth. Since different broths and bouillons contain different amounts of sodium, taste the finished soup before adding additional salt.
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
This creamy homemade tomato soup is all about taking simple ingredients and giving them time to develop flavor. Roasting fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, and garlic before blending them with heavy cream, basil, and Parmesan creates a soup that’s rich, smooth, and full of roasted tomato flavor.
And while the tomato soup is certainly good enough to eat on its own, I don’t think anyone is going to complain if there’s a buttery grilled cheese sitting next to it.
Make a batch for dinner, save the leftovers for lunch, and don’t forget to make enough grilled cheese for dipping.
More Cozy Soups
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup (with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil)
Ingredients
- 10 –12 medium ripe tomatoes quartered (about 3½ pounds)
- 2 sweet onions roughly chopped
- 2 whole heads garlic
- 6 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add the tomatoes and onions to a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Slice the tops off the heads of garlic to expose the cloves and place them on the baking sheet with the vegetables. Drizzle everything with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with the salt and pepper.
- Roast for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes and onions are soft and beginning to caramelize around the edges and the garlic is tender. Remove from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Transfer the roasted tomatoes and onions, along with all of the juices from the baking sheet, to the Dutch oven. Carefully squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from the heads directly into the pot.
- Add the water, oregano, chicken bouillon, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and heavy cream. Stir to combine.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until completely smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup to a countertop blender and blend in batches.
- Stir in the chopped fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the Parmesan has melted and the soup is warmed through. Avoid bringing the soup to a hard boil.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. If you prefer a thinner soup, stir in a little additional water or chicken broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve warm with additional Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired. A grilled cheese sandwich is highly recommended for dipping.
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