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There's nothing quite like this Fresh Tomato Basil Soup made from fresh tomatoes. Try it! You won't believe how delicious it is!
Got tomatoes? Yup, me too! Whether your garden (or your mom's, neighbor's, friends, etc.) is overflowing or you just can't pass up the beautiful bounty at the grocery store, farmer's market or local roadside stand, I've got a delicious idea for you - Fresh Tomato Basil Soup!
Soup is a wonderful option in all seasons
If you're thinking that soup should be strictly relegated to fall and winter, think outside the box a bit. Not only are there tons of summer veggies that are perfect for soup-making - but soup, accompanied by a fresh salad, makes a wonderful light, healthy and delicious warm weather meal.
I bet you eat all kinds of hot food (as in warm-hot, not spicy-hot), right? Pasta, pizza, grilled meats and veggies, stir fries, etc. - so why not soup? The trick with summer soups are to keep them light, fresh and very flavorful. This Fresh Tomato Basil Soup ticks all the boxes!
Stock up on tomatoes
The recipe calls for lots of tomatoes; 8 cups, so it's a perfect way to utilize the seasonal bounty or even winter tomatoes at the grocery store. It's easy too, no need to peel or remove the seeds as the whole works will be blended later till silky smooth. The cast of characters also include lots of fresh basil, garlic, a pinch of sugar, balsamic vinegar, a scoop of tomato paste, onions and carrots. The veggies add lots of extra nutrition and also make for a thick and creamy soup (without cream or any other dairy products).
There are lots of fun and delicious ways to finish off this wonderful soup. This time, I added Bocconcini (bite size balls of fresh Mozzarella), crushed red pepper, coarsely chopped pine nuts and tiny basil leaves. Goat cheese and parmesan are wonderful too or you can go as simple as a drizzle of good olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Big crusty garlic croutons are another delicious option and add lots of texture and crunch to this creamy soup.
Want to have a taste of summer when the cold winds blow this winter? Utilize your summer tomato loot, whip up a few batches of this Fresh Tomato Basil Soup and pop them in the freezer. You'll be thrilled to warm up a bowlful on a chilly, blustery day - and you're tastebuds will remind you of warm sunny days gone by!
A Weekend in The NC Mountains
We've been spending this weekend with family in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. It's been a delightful getaway and a lovely break from the sweltering summer heat. I served this soup for lunch one day with a fresh green salad and toasted cheese sandwiches. All the partakers loved it and just about licked the bowls clean. My son declared it was the best tomato soup he's ever had!
Scott's had his camera in tow and has had fun capturing our sweet time together as well as the majestic beauty in this little corner of God's glorious creation. We hiked to a waterfall, had a picnic and the kids (big and little) had a blast playing in the water. Here are a few favorite shots.
And with this group around, life is anything but dull, no matter where we are!
Café Tips for making this Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
- If you don't have fresh tomatoes from the garden or if you want to make this soup in the cooler weather months, feel free to use grocery store tomatoes. Romas or plum tomatoes will work well.
- Don't forget to remove the bay leaves before blending. They will leave chunky bits in your soup.
- This soup keeps nicelyin the refrigerator for 4-5 days and also freezes well. Warm slowly on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- If you can't find Bocconcini (bite size balls of fresh Mozzarella), just use a large piece cut into bite size pieces.
- This soup pairs beautifully with grilled cheese sandwiches made with thick sourdough bread and a combination of flavorful cheeses. I like to use Havarti and a sharp cheddar. Pimento cheese is also wonderful!
Can't get enough tomato soup? Here's another one that everyone loves: Roasted Tomato Lentil Soup Caprese .
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 medium cloves garlic smashed and sliced
- 2 medium sweet onions coarsely chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium carrots roughly chopped
- 8 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½-2 teaspoons salt start with 1 ½, add more, to taste
- ½ cup packed basil divided
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella either the small balls or a larger piece diced.
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
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Heat oil and butter in a medium size pan. Add garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped onion and continue to cook until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes longer.
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Add chicken broth, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and ¼ cup of the fresh basil leaves. Cook, uncovered for 25 minutes until carrots are very soft.
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Remove bay leaves and allow to cool slightly*, then transfer half of the contents to a blended, add remaining basil and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer blended soup to a medium size bowl, then repeat blending with second half of soup . Return soup to pot and re-warm gently before serving. Serve hot in soup bowls.
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If desired, top each bow of soup with bite size pieces of fresh mozzarella, finely chopped fresh basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a few pine nuts and small fresh basil leaves for garnish.
Candace says
It's the end of November & I have a plethora of winter tomatoes on the vine. You are right - better than canned tomato soup, so fresh & light. Forgot to remove the bay leaves. Guess they got chopped up with the immersion blender. I so look forward to see what new recipe will appear in my email.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Candace!
Sarah says
I made this soup over the weekend. It’s winter where we are, and this was so easy to make and super delicious to eat. I took a container of it to my parents and they also gave it the big thumbs up. I’ll definitely make this again.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! We love this soup too, Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing your results! 💕
Tina Barnsley says
I love this recipe!! I have made it several times, using up the fresh tomatoes from our garden, then putting it in the freezer to enjoy when it's cold outside!
Liz says
Look at those sweet faces!! You are so blessed!! Katie loves tomato soup---so I must make this for her. Glad you enjoyed your getaway---we're finally getting a little break from the heat. Whew.
Sandra Garth says
Tomato soup is a favorite anytime of the year and this looks absolutely divine! Thank you Scott for the beautiful images they are unforgettable.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
Tomato basil soup is my favorite, this is a must-make!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Fun pictures! We like soup in warm weather, too. Don't eat as much as when the weather is cooler simply because we're eating tons of salads. But soup is always on our horizon. We have a bumper crop of basil this year, so this is a great use for it. Wonderful recipe -- thanks!
AliJo says
Hello! I have just about everything ready to make i just had a couple questions, what kind of tomatoes do you use and do you think it would be alright to use yellow onions instead of sweet?
Chris Scheuer says
I use big regular red tomatoes AliJo, but you can also use Romas too. If you use yellow onions, just add just a bit of sugar to the soup to compensate.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
OMG! Those faces! That scenery! That family! That soup! Is there any other way?
Kristi Patterson says
Thank you for a very nice recipe! I had wondered how to use up tomatoes and basil from the garden and this was perfect. I used an immersion blender since my regular blender is pretty old - that worked fine; there were a few visible flecks of basil, but we didn't mind.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Kristi. I'm glad you enjoyed the soup and it's great that the immersion blender worked well for you! It's definitely a way to use up an abundance of tomatoes and basil!
Karen C says
Chris, I made your soup for dinner tonight. I have sneaked a taste or two already and it is divine.. Will serve it with some crusty bread as you suggested. I am going to shave some Fontina over the top at serving and sprinkle with toasted pistachio nuts as I already have them from another salad I made. I think it will be great.
Chris Scheuer says
Oh, so happy you let us know how this turned out for you, Karen! I love your adaptation, it sounds wonderful!
Janet says
Just finished making this soup (and enjoying a sample bowl!) and it is just delicious! I can't wait to share it with friends and family!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Janet, I'm ready to make it again as mine didn't last long! So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know.
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome Janet, thanks for letting us know. Hope your family enjoys it!
Kate says
love all your recipes and I share your site with friends and family. Great photos of grand kids!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Kate for your kind words!
Mimi says
An immersion blender could work too, right in the pan. I can tell just from the ingredients this will be a delicious soup. But 4 stars just because I haven't tried it yet.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mimi, yes an immersion blender would definitely work!
Coleen says
Why give any stars if you have not tried it? Seems like that would bring down the average and confuse future cooks who might not read the comments?
Helen says
Thanks for the recipe; I especially appreciate the hint about how to handle hot ingredients in a blender! Do you remove the bay leaves before blending? I add a few roasted and seeded peppers to my soup for added zing. Beautiful country and company for a weekend get-away.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Helen, you do remove the bay leaves and I've amended the recipe to include those instructions. I love having extra eyes out there!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
A perfect soup! Love that melted bocconcini too 🙂 Your family time look idyllic. So wonderful you can all get together in such a pretty spot.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jennifer, we didn't have the best weather (lots of rain) but made some wonderful memories when the sun did shine.
Jenna says
This soup looks like heaven in a bowl 🙂 Your grands are adorable!
Chris Scheuer says
Heaven in a bowl is a good description. There's just nothing like fresh tomatoes!
Ginny Hartzler says
Gorgeous lush pictures! What a great pairing, beautiful scenery and joyful children. I love seeing them far away from tech! I guess we could have this soup cold in hot weather, and hot in cold weather! The topping of mini mozzarella balls is genius!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Ginny!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
I just got back from the NC mountains and now you've made me want to hop another flight back! Love love love your fresh tomato soup, it sure beats the canned stuff I grew up on.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Sue, it definitely beats the canned tomato soup but it also beats homemade that's made from canned tomatoes. I honestly had not idea it could make such a difference!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
All your grandchildren are beautiful! What a fun family - we can't wait to take our grandchildren out and about. This is a gorgeous location - were you near Cashier's or Asheville? And I love this recipe - I have a similar recipe but oven roast the tomatoes first. LOVE fresh garden tomatoes and all that wonderful basil. Have a great week
Chris Scheuer says
It's just a little southwest of Boone. Very popular with the ASU college kids, including our son and daughter-in-law!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
You have a beautiful family, Chris. The tomato soup looks so smooth and delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Angie! We love them all!