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).
The flavour of this Tomato Basil Soup is fresh, vibrant and pure. 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, the amazing fresh flavour of the tomato and basil remains fresh, vibrant and aromatic. It's definitely one of my favourite soup recipes!
In this post:
Ingredients
Here is what you will be needing 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.
Success Tip - The better the tomatoes you use, the better your soup will taste. This is a great recipe to make when you can use 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 flavour.
Success tip - The only liquid you need for this soup comes from the tomatoes. There is no need to add any extra. Cooking the soup this way ensures the flavour 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. It includes stove top instructions.
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
How To Store Tomato Basil Soup
Tomato Basil Soup is great fro meal prep. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Reheat gently in a pan or in a microwave. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before heating through.
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 flavour 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 instead (it says Instant Pot but has stove top instructions too): https://avirtualvegan.com/instant-pot-tomato-soup/
I would add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste/puree and 2 to 3 teaspoons of white or cane sugar. Sugar enhances the flavors 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.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Easy Tomato Basil Soup
Author: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.
Nicola says
Great Recipe, I added some fresh chillies as we like a little kick but with or without chilli taste great!
Lee Wright says
How much dried basil would I use instead of fresh?
Ashley says
I love this recipe and have made it countless times!
Vicki Reeve says
Fantastic. Tastes just like the tomato soup we ate in Iceland. Simply pure tomato flavor. The only thing I did differently was to add some fresh cayenne peppers, minced, along with the garlic, and a touch of Tabasco -- because we like spicy. Thanks for a great recipe. I definitely will make again, because these tomatoes just keep on coming!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it Vicki. Love the cayenne pepper addition!
Alejandra Paz says
I loved this recipe. You can be generous with the tomatoes or basil depending on taste. I highly recommend! My boyfriend was impressed since it was delicious the first time around!
Lynn Marie says
Recipe is very good.
CeeCee says
So, so good. I make a big batch of this most Sunday mornings. This makes me think of Pret tomato soup (my favourite). I’ve found the results really do depend on the quality of the tomatoes, so the times I use less-than-great ‘maters, I make a couple of tweaks - a squeeze or two of Bomba purée and a couple of fresh, uncooked tomatoes as the soup goes into the blender seems to make the soup ‘brighter’.
Either way, results are always yummy.
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you're enjoying it!
Kristin says
Do you leave the peels on?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes unless you want to peel them all. I think life's too short for that and by the time it's all blended up you don't know they are there anyway.
Tania says
Are the cooking times the same if I use canned tomatoes?
A Virtual Vegan says
This recipe is designed to use fresh tomatoes. It hasn't been tested with canned and it probably won't be as nice. This recipe uses canned tomatoes https://avirtualvegan.com/instant-pot-tomato-soup/ (It has stove top as well as Instant Pot instructions).
Gil says
Super easy and was a great use for extra tomatoes from a holiday party!
Natalie says
Just made this today. Super easy and delicious! I will definitely be making this again!
Carol says
Can this soup be frozen
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it should be fine.
Shanequa says
I made this soup this evening and it came out great. I actually added cashews that I soaked in hot water to thicken the soup. I struggled a little bit trying to figure out how many tomatoes to use but it all worked out. I will definitely make this again.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Not sure why you struggled with the tomatoes because an exact weight for them is given. Maybe you missed it?
Marge says
Plant based, no oil here. Along with my daughter and 11 year old grandson. I had my grandson taste test for me. He tested till it was gone. A winner!
Melanie McDonald says
Ha ha! Always a good sign. Glad he enjoyed it!
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!