Fresh Tomato Soup with Basil
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Preserve the taste of summer with this Easy Garden Fresh Tomato Basil Soup. Come January, you’ll be thanking yourself!
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If I had to choose a single comfort food to live on for the rest of my life, it would be tomato soup and grilled cheese. Some people go for Creamy Mac and Cheese or Chicken and Noodles, but on my weariest days, nothing soothes my soul like a humble bowl of fresh tomato soup.
Summer may seem like a strange time of year to be talking about hot soup, but with garden fresh tomatoes in season, those plump, ruby beauties are appearing everywhere. So, whether you are looking for dinner ideas, or whether you are thinking about freezing tomato soup, I figure there’s no better time to stock up on fresh tomato soup than right now.
Tomato Soup From Scratch
I’ve been looking for an easy tomato soup recipe made with fresh tomatoes for awhile. A long time ago I made a roasted tomato soup that was heavenly, but it was also time consuming and used canned tomatoes. I wanted a recipe that called for fresh tomatoes and could be made in about 30 minutes.
Luckily, this recipe fits the bill. Common pantry staples and about 40 minutes of your time is all it takes to make a giant vat of this stuff.
How to Make Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
- Saute some onions in a stock pot until they’re nice and soft and sweet.
- Add garlic, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Enjoy the smells.
- Stir in a whole bunch of chopped tomatoes and simmer.
- Pour in some chicken broth.
- Season to taste.
- Blend to your desired consistency (smooth or chunky.)
- Top with fresh basil, cream, croutons, or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
I was surprised how little seasoning this recipe needed. It tastes quite good without any added salt, pepper, or basil, but I gave it a small dose of all three for good measure.
For minimal effort, you’ll be rewarded with sweet, flavorful soup that tastes like summer in a bowl.
Variations of Tomato Basil Soup
The great thing about making your own soup at home is you get to customize the flavor.
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe: While this soup recipe is pretty creamy all on its own, you can absolutely stir in some cream or half and half at the end.
- Spicy Tomato Soup: Saute some jalapeno peppers with the onions, or stir in a little cayenne pepper.
- Smoky Tomato Soup: Stir in some smoked paprika or the sauce from a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo.
- Vegetarian Tomato Soup: Replace the chicken broth with vegetarian broth and use canned coconut milk for the swirl of cream.
Do I Need to Peel Tomatoes for Soup?
For a perfectly smooth soup, you will need to peel and seed the tomatoes. Here’s a great tutorial on how to peel tomatoes.
But, if you like your soup to have just a bit more texture, or you’re more low-maintenance (like me), then this recipe is perfect as is. And by perfect, I mean it coats the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich like a champ.
How to Blend Hot Soup
I tried to use my pitcher blender to blend this soup and had a boiling hot tomato VOLCANO erupt all over my kitchen. Seriously, it’s a good thing no one walked in on me, because I probably would’ve been arrested for murder. It was a tomato bloodbath in there.
Let this be a lesson to you. Hot liquids should never be blended in a sealed blender. To safely puree hot soup, remove the center cap from the lid, fill the blender half full, then replace the lid and cover the center hole with a towel. The towel allows some of the heat to escape so it doesn’t collect in the blender and cause the pressure filled explosion mentioned above.
An even better option? Invest in an immersion blender. It allows you to puree the entire soup at once and not worry about transferring, splattering, or ruining your favorite shirt.
Freezing Tomato Soup
Truthfully, I’m terrified of canning things, but I do a good bit of freezing, and that’s exactly what I did for this recipe.
There’s no real trick to freezing, but here’s what I do.
- Allow the soup to cool.
- Then, place a quart size freezer bag in a 2 cup measuring cup. The cup helps it to stand open and cuts back on mess while you pour it in the bags.
- Fill each bag about 2/3 full, squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal them up.
- Freeze the bags flat on a baking tray for easier storage then stack them up for easy access. Make sure to label them so you don’t wonder what that odd colored bag of liquid in your freezer is (trust me, it’s happened before).
This recipe makes enough for our family of four to eat dinner one night and freeze for another meal later.
What to Serve With Tomato Soup
Our family loves eating this with a classic grilled cheese, but we also enjoy getting fancy with a Gruyere Grilled Cheese with Ham or the Ultimate Strawberry Bacon Grilled Cheese.
If you’re a soup and salad fan, I recommend pairing this soup with That Good Salad or Ham and Swiss Salad.
You could also sprinkle Melba Toast on the top or make Homemade Breadsticks for dunking!
![](https://neighborfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/easy-garden-fresh-tomato-soup-200x200.jpg)
Fresh Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups chopped sweet onions (About 2 large onions)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 8 cups chopped tomatoes (about 4 lbs., *see note)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil (plus more for garnish)
- Heavy cream, half and half, or coconut milk, if desired
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 5-7 minutes, or until they've started to soften. Add the balsamic, sugar, and garlic and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Simmer another five minutes then taste. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Stir in basil.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into the consistency of your choosing. You can make it totally smooth or leave some chunks. I personally like a few chunks. You can also blend this in your blender, but be sure to remove the inner cap, cover with a towel, and only fill the blender 1/2 full.
- To serve, spoon the soup into bowls and top with sliced fresh basil. Swirl with half and half or heavy cream, if desired. Top with Parmesan cheese and croutons, or serve with a side of grilled cheese.
Notes
- Types of tomatoes: This soup works great with any fresh, in season tomatoes. I've used all combinations of beefsteaks, romas, and heirlooms.
- To Peel or Not to Peel: This is personal preference. If you decide to peel, you can follow this easy tutorial for peeling tomatoes. If you don't mind a little texture to the soup, leave the peels on.
- To freeze: Allow the soup to cool then ladle it into freezer safe containers or quart size freezer bags. Freeze bags laying flat on a sheet pan, then stack and store as needed. Thaw soup in the fridge overnight then reheat on the stove top. Soup should always be frozen before cream is added.
This has to be the prettiest bowl of soup I have seen in a long time … and it sounds absolutely divine as well! Pinned!
I’m with you, Courtney, loving the tomato soup and grilled cheese combo! We’re on the same page when it comes to freezing too! 😉
Gorgeous photos of such a comforting soup!
I’m so glad to know it’s not just me who wears impractical clothes and then has kitchen disasters! But your capri sacrifice was worth it for such an utterly beautiful soup!
Great way to enjoy summer flavors in the dead of winter! Love this!
Heck yes. Tomato soup and grilled cheese are my go-to comfort foods, as well. I love everything about this!
Courtney, LOVE this tomato soup. . we just picked a bunch of tomatoes from our garden yesterday and I was going to make tomato sauce but now I’m going to try this! love!!
Awesome! I hope you guys love it. Tomato soup is a fav of mine!
YES you speak my comfort food language. How perfect for summer!
It’s hard to believe that with minimal effort you could have this delicious soup — but I am willing to try it! Looks amazing.
I know! I’m so amazed at what great flavor it has with such simple ingredients too. Just goes to show that nothing beats fresh summer produce!
Sorry, Courtney, but LOL…And laughing with you because sooo many times I’ve worn white only to find a stain. Oh, well, more happy shopping =) Speaking of happiness, your gorgeous photos make me want to dive into the lovely comfort of your tomato soup =)
Ugh. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s made that mistake! It’s so silly too because I have a whole closet full of aprons!
Holy cow that sounds delicious! Fantastic recipe 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
I love this soup, his one my favorite flavors!
What a vibrant soup! I am definitely going to make a vegetarian version sans chicken stock!
That would be great Mallory! I’m sure it would still taste fantastic!
My daughter could live off your soup (and grilled cheese sandwiches!). I need to make a big batch of this for our freezer! So sorry about the tomato blood bath…sounds like something that would happen to me :/
It makes for a good story, right? 😉 I hope you and your daughter both love this!
Nothing better than homemade soup and tomato is one of my favs! Scrumptious with grilled cheese, it is on our menu often!! Your soup looks fabulous!!
Ours too. Such a great easy and satisfying dinner!
I’ve never been a huge soup person, but this looks so freaking delicious. The color is gorg and it looks so smooth and creamy. I want a bowl for lunch right now!
Thanks Shaina! Wish I could ship you some!
I’m a tomato soup fan too! LOVE your pictures. They make me SO hungry!
Thanks Amanda. I was iffy about these pictures. White balance is apparently my nemesis when it comes to red soups. 🙂 Glad to hear they’re making you hungry though!
I’ve had that same blender explosion thing happen but with butternut squash soup. It was all over my ceiling, cabinets, and clothes too. Your soup looks amazing and tomato soup is one of my husband’s all-time favorites. And yes, it is superb with grilled cheese.
Oh boy, it’s a trip, right? At least it makes for a good story later!
Wow! Your soup is beautiful! I love it! I love that you can freeze it too!!
That is one gorgeous bowl of soup, Courtney! I love the swirl of cream and the little basil leaves. Just a word of caution about the immersion blender. It can create an awful mess if your pot isn’t deep enough for it to be completely immersed. Not that I know this from experience, you understand. Ah, hem.
Haha! Thank you for the tips Stacy. Not that we would know from personal experience or anything. 😉