The easiest Tomato Basil Soup EVER and it's so fresh & vibrant. Ready in just 10 minutes and made with only 4 ingredients (plus salt, pepper & optional olive oil).
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"Oh my goodness, this soup is SO easy and SO delicious!! I didn't change a thing from the original recipe and it turned out absolutely perfect!"
- Susan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
The easiest Tomato Basil Soup! The only ingredients are tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil (plus a little seasoning and optional olive oil).
It's so simple and quick to make. In fact, from start to finish it can be ready in 10 minutes, and as it's cooked so quickly, with no stock, milk, or cream added, that the amazing fresh flavor of the tomato and basil remains fresh, vibrant, and aromatic.
This soup, my tomato fritters, and my cherry tomato sauce are my favorite recipes to make during summer when we have loads of homegrown tomatoes to use up.
Mel x
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make Tomato Basil Soup:
The ingredients list is very short. We're talking just fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, onion, garlic and seasonings. You can use any variety of fresh tomatoes such as plum tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, cherry, grape, vine, beefsteak, etc, or a combination.
IMPORTANT TIP - The better the tomatoes you use, the better your soup will taste. This is a great recipe to use up lots of homegrown or local tomatoes in summer.
How To Make Tomato Basil Soup
In just 10 minutes and a few simple steps, you could be tucking into a bowl of this fresh and delicious Tomato Basil Soup. It's so quick and easy. Here's how it's done:
- Sauté the garlic and onion
- Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until hot and just starting to break down.
- Add the basil and seasoning.
- Blend with an immersion blender in the pan or transfer to a blender (if doing this you might need to work in batches). Blend until smooth. There is no need to cook the soup any longer once the basil is added. Certainly don't let it boil or you will lose much of its flavor.
The only liquid you need for this soup comes from the tomatoes. There is no need to add extra. Cooking the soup this way ensures the flavor stays super fresh and undiluted.
Variations
Prefer a creamier tomato bisque-style soup? Stir through a little store-bought vegan cream, light coconut milk, homemade cashew cream, or even a little cashew milk just before serving and allow to warm through.
If you are looking for a creamy tomato soup made from canned tomatoes give my Vegan Tomato Soup or Instant Pot Tomato Soup a try.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what goes with Tomato Basil Soup? I love to serve mine with a drizzle of vegan cream or good extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper. A side of bread and butter or a grilled cheese sandwich would not go amiss. Other accompaniments that work well include:
- A scattering of vegan croutons
- Vegan ricotta or Parmesan cheese
- A swirl of kale pesto
- Thick wedges of Miracle No Knead Focaccia, Sourdough or Light Whole Wheat Bread
- No Yeast White Bread or Yeast-Free Spelt Bread
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe FAQs
No. Just chop them up and throw them in. By the time it's blended, you don't know they are there anyway!
Not for this recipe. It relies on the flavor of the fresh tomatoes too much. The recipe would need a complete overhaul to work well with canned tomatoes. I recommend you try this recipe Vegan Tomato Soup recipe.
I would add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste/puree and 2 to 3 teaspoons of white or cane sugar. Sugar enhances the flavor of food just like salt does and works especially well with tomatoes. It also helps cuts any bitterness. Tomato paste will thicken the soup so you might need to add a drop of water or vegetable broth/stock too.
There are only about 280 calories in the entire pan of this soup. It is very low in fat and calories. You can even make it completely fat-free by omitting the olive oil and sautéing the onions and garlic in a drop of water instead. I've been told it works very well for people following Slimming World and Weight Watchers.
Recipe
Easy Tomato Basil Soup
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , (for oil-free use a little bit of water)
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 3 large cloves garlic , minced
- 7 cups (49 oz / 1.4 kg) chopped fresh tomatoes , (large, cherry, grape, or a mixture)
- 1 large handful fresh basil , roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt , or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put the oil in a large pan and heat on medium.
- Once the oil is hot add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and just starting to turn golden on the edges. Then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes are simmering and just starting to break down. The smaller the tomato pieces, the quicker this will happen. Larger chunks might take a couple minutes more.
- Remove from the heat and add the basil, salt and pepper then blend with an immersion blender in the pan, or transfer to a blender, blend then return to the pan for a minute or two to warm up again.
- Serve immediately.
NOTES
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marjorie feiner says
This is delicious. I made it with the foccacia and the bread was perfect with this soap. What a great way to use all the tomatoes from the garden. So easy and quick and yummy.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed both recipes. Thank you Marjorie!
Connie Miller says
My husband love tomato basil soup. I was wondering if it could be canned. I'm going to try it because I have a lot of tomatoes.
Melanie McDonald says
I don't really have any experience of canning so can't say. Sorry!
Deena Fried says
do you peel the tomatoes?
A Virtual Vegan says
No, no need to peel them. It's a super quick and easy soup with no fussy prep. By the time they get blended up you wouldn't know the skins were there!
Erica says
Can I make this in advance and chill it? Do you think?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes you could. Be sure to reheat it quite gently and don't allow it to boil as you'll lose the lovely fresh basil flavour otherwise.
Dominika says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It saved my day today!
Barbara says
Made this tonight, it is delicious! I roasted the onions before adding to the pot with garlic and a bit of tomato paste. Loved the consistency at the end. Thanks for sharing!
Cathy says
This is excellent, simple to make soup! Never had real Tomato soup until you have tasted this!
Beverly A says
Oh my word this is good! I am 70 years old and have never had such good tomato basil soup. I followed the recipe to the letter and will definitely be making this again. Hubby says for him too - the best tomato basil soup he has ever had. I am gluten free, so no flours to hurt my tummy. I did not make it perfectly smooth, wanted the little "bits" in it and the basil is the cat's meow. Thank you for sharing!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you both enjoyed it Beverly. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Amanda says
This recipe was so easy and so delicious. It took me about ten minutes to make and then I had dinner prepped for the next few days. It was a little bit watery, but it's possible the tomatoes I got just weren't the best.
Katelyn says
Hi, could you make a big batch and freeze this?
A Virtual Vegan says
You could yes. It freezes really well.
Dawn says
I have just made this soup and it is so good. Thank you for the recipe
April says
This recipe was delicious! I loved the simplicity of it, but it offered so much flavor. Thank you!
Lauren says
This recipe was perfect! I added two heaping tablespoons of coconut milk to the soup to make it a bit creamier, but I was shocked at how great this tasted. And so healthy! Loved that it was quick, easy, and inexpensive. Thank you!
Toni says
This is really tomato soup. Delicious! No broths chicken, or vegetable. I used the last of my homegrown grape tomatoes, I couln’t be more pleased. I will use over and over next year when I can enjoy fresh tomatoes again. Thank you
Meghan says
Have you tried this with canned tomatoes in place of fresh?
donna says
Made this for the first time and both my husband and I LOVED it! Super easy and flavorful. We had it for dinner with chunky wheat bread, hummus, and cured olives.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome and your dinner sounds perfect! Thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!