Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Soup (Printable)
A smooth, flavorful blend of roasted garlic and ripe tomatoes with fresh basil and crispy croutons.
# What You'll Need:
→ Soup
01 - 8 ripe tomatoes, quartered (approx. 1.5 lbs)
02 - 1 large head garlic
03 - 1 large onion, chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 3 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (optional)
→ Croutons
11 - 2 cups day-old bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
12 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)
14 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the top off the garlic head and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet alongside the quartered tomatoes. Drizzle tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35–40 minutes until softened and caramelized.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook chopped onions until translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
03 - Toss bread cubes with olive oil, Italian herbs, and salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, tossing once, until crisp and golden. Set aside.
04 - Once roasted, squeeze garlic cloves from skins and add to the pot with onions. Add roasted tomatoes with their juices. Stir in vegetable broth, then bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
05 - Stir in fresh basil leaves and sugar if desired. Remove pot from heat.
06 - Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a countertop blender, puree the soup until smooth. For a finer texture, strain through a fine mesh sieve.
07 - Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk for creaminess if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with prepared croutons and additional fresh basil as garnish.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It's the kind of soup that feels restaurant-quality but comes together without fuss or stress.
- Roasting the vegetables first gives you deep, concentrated flavor instead of that thin, watery soup taste.
- The fresh basil finish at the end tastes like summer, even when you're eating it in the middle of winter.
02 -
- Don't skip the roasting step—it's what makes this soup taste nothing like canned tomato soup and everything like something you'd pay good money for at a restaurant.
- Fresh basil goes in at the very end after blending, not before, or it'll turn an unappetizing brownish-green and lose all its brightness.
- If your soup seems too thick after blending, thin it with a splash more broth rather than cream, which will keep it tasting fresh and tomato-forward.
03 -
- Use day-old bread for croutons—fresh bread steams instead of crisps, and you'll end up with chewy cubes instead of golden ones.
- Taste the soup before adding any salt to account for how salty your broth already is, then season gradually and adjust at the end.