My creamy, tomato basil soup is loaded with fresh tomatoes and just the right amount of basil and garlic. It's a taste of summer that is perfect for a rainy afternoon.
Read on for my tips and tricks, or scroll down to the recipe and start cooking!
When it comes to making homemade soup, tomato basil is by far one of my favorites. It's a perfect way to use end of summer tomatoes and can be canned or frozen for longer storage.
In this soup, the fresh tomato flavor is balanced with basil, garlic and cream.
Serve it cold on a hot summer day or serve it hot on a cold, wet day. I like mine paired with a grilled cheese sandwich for a delicious weekend lunch or crusty sourdough bread for a quick weekday meal.
I've found that roasting your tomatoes is best, in order to get a robust tomato flavor. You can really use any tomatoes you have on hand: Roma, Cherry, Beef-eater, Heirloom, Plum, etc. I use whatever I have on hand, which is often times a mix of varieties.
In this recipe, you don't have to peel or remove the seeds first; I like to utilize the whole tomato; minus the stems.
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Once all of your tomatoes are washed and the tops are removed, place them on a large roasting pan. If you're using large tomatoes such as Roma or Beef-eater, I would recommend slicing them in halves (or quarters) depending on how big they are.
You can disperse your garlic cloves throughout the pan, or you can just place the full heads of garlic in the center.
Generously drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over the tomatoes and garlic cloves. Roast in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the skin of the tomatoes is wrinkly.
While the tomatoes and garlic are roasting, start caramelizing the onions. In a medium sauce pan, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or butter) to the pan.
Add the thinly sliced onions to the pan and cook on medium-high heat until the onions start to turn a golden brown, stirring frequently. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Once the tomatoes have finished roasting and they have cooled; remove the garlic from the peel. It will be tender enough where you can squeeze from the base and the garlic will pop right out.
Transfer the roasted garlic and tomatoes and caramelized onions to a blender. You can use an emulsion blender if you have one, but I find the traditional blender works better, especially when you add in the basil.
Blend the mixture on high for about 2 minutes until everything is nice and smooth and creamy. Add in the basil and blend on high again for an additional 2 minutes until there are no more basil chunks.
Add back to a pot to heat it back to temperature to enjoy right after making it. If not, jar it up and put it in the refrigerator or freezer for later!
HOMEMADE TOMATO BASIL SOUP
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds of tomatoes (any variety)
3 full heads of garlic
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil
Heavy cream or coconut milk (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and remove the tops/stems from the tomatoes
Cut large tomatoes in half or in quarters and place on a large baking pan. Place full heads of garlic in the center.
Drizzle tomatoes and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper
Roast for 40-45 minutes or until the skin of the tomatoes starts to peel away from the flesh.
While the tomatoes and garlic are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat and add the sliced onions to the pan.
Cook, while stirring frequently until they are a golden brown color; about 5-7 minutes.
Once the tomatoes and garlic are done roasting and they have cooled; remove the garlic from the peel and add the tomatoes and garlic to a blender.
Blend on high until smooth and creamy; then add in the basil and blend until there are no more chunks.
Transfer back to a pot to reheat if enjoying immediately. If not, transfer to a jar or container and place in the refrigerator or freezer to eat later!
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