Tomato basil soup is a great way to use up fresh tomatoes and basil in an easy vegan soup! Chill it and serve it gazpacho style, or serve it warm with gluten free grilled cheese or bread, and the crowd will go wild!
This really is the BEST tomato basil soup recipe! My kids gobble up this plant-based soup every time we make it. The base starts from my grandmother's homemade marinara sauce, and a slice of toast with my kale basil pesto on the side makes it a meal.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 50 minutes, mostly a hands-off simmer
- ⏳ Total Time: 60 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings of about ¾ cup
- ⚡ Calories: 58kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: 9 (tomatoes, vegetable broth, carrot, onion, garlic, olive oil, basil, Himalayan salt, pepper)
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Bright, sweet tomatoes simmered with garlic and fresh basil, blended smooth or left chunky
- ✋ Difficulty: One pot, simmer, cool, blend
Quick Answer
Slice 2 pounds of Roma or vine tomatoes in half (grape tomatoes can go in whole). Add them to a large soup pot with 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, 1 chopped carrot, ½ cup chopped sweet onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ cup packed fresh basil, 1 ½ teaspoons Himalayan salt and a dash of pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let it cool, then blend until smooth (or pulse lightly for chunky soup), reheat if needed and garnish with fresh basil. It serves 4 at 58 calories each. For a creamy version, add 1 cup of coconut milk.
Jump to:
Growing up Italian, it was ingrained in us to like juicy plump tomatoes and soups. Every meal at my grandparents' house consisted of homemade marinara sauce bathed over lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs with a side of Italian sausage. Dinner was always a 4 course meal with Italian wedding soup served first, then a salad, the main course and dessert.
We would sit there for 3 to 4 hours enjoying each other's company and relishing a tomato based meal. Just us. Just family. Just togetherness. I appreciate that much more now as an adult.
Why This Tomato Basil Soup Works
Click to see why it works
- A marinara base. Tomatoes, basil, garlic, onion and olive oil, the same base as my grandmother's homemade marinara.
- Carrots add sweetness. Like a Tuscan tomato soup, a chopped carrot rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- A long, low simmer. 45 minutes to 1 hour covered lets the tomatoes break down and the flavors meld.
- Fresh, seasonal ingredients. Fresh tomatoes and herbs bring out the best flavor, so you don't end up adding too much salt trying to "bring out the flavor."
- Smooth or chunky. Puree it for a silky soup, or pulse it lightly in the blender for a chunky version.
- Low sodium broth. It keeps the salt in your control. With regular broth, start with ½ teaspoon of salt.
Why You'll Love This Tomato Basil Soup
- Vegan and plant-based, made with vegetable broth and olive oil.
- Just 58 calories per ¾ cup serving.
- Hot or cold. Serve it warm with gluten free grilled cheese or my gluten-free rolls for dipping, or chill it and serve it gazpacho style.
- Kid favorite. My kids adore this easy tomato basil soup and usually ask for seconds.
- Uses up the garden, especially at a summer gathering when tomatoes are at their ripest.
Key Ingredients
- Tomatoes - about 2 pounds of Roma, vine or grape tomatoes. Fresh from the garden tastes best, and grape tomatoes are super sweet.
- Low sodium vegetable broth - add more for a thinner soup.
- Carrot - one large, peeled and chopped.
- Sweet white onion and garlic - the savory base.
- Extra virgin olive oil - for richness.
- Fresh basil - ½ cup packed leaves, plus more to garnish.
- Himalayan salt and black pepper - to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Make It Creamy
In high school, my mom used to take us to a restaurant called Brio's in Virginia. My siblings, mom and I all loved their creamy tomato basil soup served with a fresh loaf of baguette. Tomatoes simmered with basil and garlic go so well together, our mouths were singing for joy!
To turn this into a creamy tomato basil soup, add 1 cup of coconut milk, canned coconut milk, or, for a little more sweetness, coconut milk creamer. It stays dairy-free and plant-based.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
1Prep the tomatoes. Slice fresh Roma or vine tomatoes in half. Grape tomatoes can go in whole.
2Simmer everything. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the tomatoes, broth, carrot, onion, garlic, olive oil, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3Cool and blend. Remove from the heat and let cool. Then add to a blender (I love my Vitamix for this) and pulse or puree until it reaches the thickness you like.
4Reheat and serve. If needed, put it back on the stove to heat before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Use low sodium broth. If yours is regular broth, use ½ teaspoon of salt and add more to taste.
- Let it cool before blending so the hot soup doesn't push the blender lid off.
- Thinner soup? Add more broth.
- Chunky soup? Pulse the ingredients lightly instead of pureeing.
- Use the best, freshest tomatoes and herbs you can find. They do the seasoning for you.
Our All Time Favorite Soup
Fast forward to today, and I am now making that delicious tomato soup for my family, which happens to be our all time favorite soup recipe. Tomato basil soup can be served hot or cold (gazpacho is of Spanish origin), but I prefer to eat soup hot. To me, heated soup brings out more flavors and fragrances.
More tomato recipes to enjoy: Pizza Stew, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Mushroom Zucchini Tomato Vegetable Soup, Hearty Vegetable Soup and Plum Habanero Salsa.
If your kids love this one, they will sip up my carrot butternut squash soup the same way, straw and all.
Tomato Basil Soup FAQs
Roma, vine or grape tomatoes all work. Fresh, seasonal tomatoes from the garden make it taste best, and grape tomatoes are super sweet.
Yes. Chill it and serve it gazpacho style, or serve it warm with gluten free grilled cheese or bread.
Add 1 cup of coconut milk, canned coconut milk, or coconut milk creamer for a little more sweetness. It stays dairy-free.
Yes. It is made with vegetable broth, olive oil and vegetables, with no dairy.
Covered, on low, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, then cool it before blending.
Yes. Pulse the ingredients together lightly in the blender instead of pureeing.
More Cozy Soups
Keep the soup pot going with Hearty Vegetable Soup, Mushroom Zucchini Tomato Soup, Carrot Butternut Squash Soup and Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup. It is a winning recipe from our home to yours! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Tomato Basil Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes Roma, vine or grape
- 2 cups vegetable broth low sodium
- 1 carrot large, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup sweet white onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ cup basil leaves fresh and packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons Himalayan salt
- black pepper dash
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes in half (or if using grape tomatoes can use whole). In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat add the tomatoes, broth, carrot, onion, garlic, olive oil, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat down to a simmer or low. Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove from the heat and let cool. Then add to a blender. Pulse or puree until the desired thickness is achieved. If needed, put it back on the stove to heat before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.
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