Roasted Summer Tomato and Basil Soup

I’ve got some delicious Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup headed your way! This soup is such a tasty combination of flavors. Roasting tomatoes really helps to bring out their sweetness and makes them even more flavorful. It’s an extra step but it’s totally worth it!

Soupy Adventures in Breckenridge, Colorado

A few years ago we celebrated my husband’s 30th birthday by snowboarding with family in Breckenridge, CO. It was an incredibly fun trip, and I remember ending each day with delicious cozy meals at the house we rented. In town we discovered a tiny shop that serves an assortment of homemade soups daily. We had to keep going back because everything we tried was so darn good! My favorite meal from that trip involved delicious soup with an epic grilled sandwich (pastrami, gruyere cheese, grilled onions, so many other delicious things, and a lot of butter).

To this day, whenever I have a pureed soup I always want to have a grilled sandwich on the side, preferably oozing with cheese. It immediately brings me fond memories of our time in Breckenridge. Plus, soup and grilled sandwiches are such an amazing comfort food. There’s a reason grilled cheese and tomato soup is a thing. But I dress my sandwiches up with meat, grilled onions, maybe mushrooms, and preferably multiple types of cheese. If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing well.

About This Soup

I came upon this recipe a few years ago when I was desperately trying to salvage an abundance of tomatoes from my garden. This is a great way to use up blemished tomatoes that aren’t picture perfect for salads. Once they’re roasted, simmered, and blended, you’ll never know that the tomato started out looking less than perfect.

First, I start with a bunch of deliciously ripe summer tomatoes. You can use any variety, but I’d stick with mostly red ones if you want the soup to look red.

I chop the tomatoes, a large onion, and a good amount of garlic, and let them roast away. You’ll end up with a tray that looks like this goodness below:

Roasting the vegetables brings out their sweetness, concentrates the flavors, and really lets everything shine. Once roasted, I take the tray of roasted veggies and all of their juices and add them into a large saucepan. Then they simmer away with spices, chicken broth, and a hefty dose of fresh basil. Simmering lets the flavors of the basil and spices to infuse the rest of the soup. Then, I just blend it up! Nothing too complicated, and this soup is just darn delicious! Make sure to pair it with a bit of protein or toppings for extra staying power. Enjoy!

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Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

Simple, delicious, and incredibly flavorful! Tomatoes are roasted to concentrate sweetness, then simmered with herbs to marry the flavors together. This soup is SO good!!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 lbs tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large sweet yellow onion
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn in half
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. (For super easy clean up, I like to line the baking sheet with foil first. This also helps with transferring the tomatoes after roasting.)

2. Chop onion so pieces are approximately the same size as quartered tomatoes. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss to coat, then pour onto prepared baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes.

3. Once vegetables are roasted, add entire contents of baking sheet (veggies + juice) to a large saucepan. Add in remaining ingredients (chicken broth, thyme, basil leaves, red pepper) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. 

4. Using immersion blender (I don't have one, and just used a regular blender), blend soup until mostly smooth. I like to leave a tiny bit of texture, but it's totally up to you! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Serve with parmesan, croutons, or your favorite cheesy grilled sandwich!

Inspiration from the one and only Barefoot Contessa.