Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Any variety of tomato works well in this recipe — just use your sweetest ones. Roasting them intensifies the flavor and makes for a very delicious soup. If your tomatoes are in abundance this season, try making a few batches, then canning or freezing them for the winter months.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Any variety of tomato works well in this recipe — just use your sweetest ones. Roasting them intensifies the flavor and makes for a very delicious soup. If your tomatoes are in abundance this season, try making a few batches, then canning or freezing them for the winter months. A warm bowl of Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and a grilled cheese is a sure cure for any winter blues!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs tomatoes, halved
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Sour cream (optional)
  • Fresh basil sprigs (optional for serving)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 ℉.
  • Place tomatoes, cut side down, on roasting pan. Nestle onion quarters and garlic cloves among tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until skins of the tomatoes look blistered and onions are tender.
  • Remove from oven, and cool for 10 minutes. Carefully pull skins from tomatoes and discard. Transfer roasted veggies and any cooking liquid to a large pot. Add chicken broth and bring vegetable mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in basil leaves, and cool for half an hour.
  • Process vegetable mixture with a hand blender, large blender, or food processor until smooth. If you desire an extra smooth consistency, strain soup through a wire-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding the solids. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
  • Serve warm or chilled with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, and garnish with fresh basil sprigs.
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
White bowl of homemade tomato soup with basil and sour cream.

Featured Ingredient: Tomatoes

It's hard to beat the flavor of a vine-ripened, homegrown tomato harvested during its peak season. Tomatoes are excellent served fresh on sandwiches or cooked down to intensify their sweetness for sauces, soups, and stews. They also freeze well and make an excellent choice for canning, allowing you to have in the unbeatable flavor of homegrown tomatoes in your pantry all year round. Tomato plants grow during warm weather months and can easily planted in garden beds or large containers. Learn how rewarding it is to grow your own tomatoes!

cluster of cherry tomatoes on vine, close-up
Cluster of cherry tomatoes on vine.