The Secret to Perfect Tomato Basil Soup
I love tomato basil soup and have ordered it many times when at a restaurant. When it’s perfect, it’s a velvety mixture of savory, sweet and tang. It brings out the best in the tomatoes and the basil. I had been making the soup from various recipes over the years experimenting with different methods until I found what I consider to be the perfect recipe!
The most amazing mix of savory, sweet and tang comes from roasting the tomatoes with garlic and mixing this with perfectly carmelized onions. I have had talented culinary friends — and even Mike who can be particular about how tomatoes are fixed to avoid the glockija factor that I described in my last food post about Tomato Pie — swoon over this soup and want the recipe right away.
In the past couple years, Mike and I have developed the perfect complement to this soup when you are in the mood for a cozy, mini-indulgence - mini-grilled cheese sage sandwich croutons to complement the soup - future foodie blog post for sure. Whether mini or regular size, using sage from the garden in a grilled cheese is AMAZING!!
In September, my dad (affectionately known as “the Do-Dad”) celebrated his 81st birthday, and in his Do-Dad tradition, he asked for a barbeque. Immediately I thought, of course, we’ll start with tomato basil soup using tomatoes from his garden for our autumn BBQ feast.
The star of this dish is beautiful, ripe tomatoes, so from the garden is always best. I have used different types of tomatoes for this recipe, and the soup is always yummy. In our own garden, we grow loads of San Marzano plum tomatoes which are perfectly suited for Mike’s famous pomodoro sauce featured in an earlier post. I often use those for the soup, as they are wonderfully sweet and savory when roasted. This time I used a mix of my Dad’s Early Girl, Golden Jubilee, and several plum tomatoes I had from Whole Foods. The key is to use a tomato whose flavor you find delicious.
The other reason I LOVE to make this soup is I LOVE to harvest the big, healthy, soft basil leaves from our herb garden. With our renovation underway, and no garden this year, I purchased locally grown Gotham Greens basil which I first discovered at the Good Food Expo several years ago. Their herbs and lettuces - especially their basil and butterhead lettuce - are always so fresh with beautifully tender leaves.
Continued thanks to my dad for his tomato jungle. It has been a pleasure to harvest for the tomato dishes I’ve been making this fall while we have been undertaking our Happy Boolo project to renovate our home. Can’t wait to get back in our own garden and grow loads of red, yellow and purple deliciousness.
Prolific tomato jungle at the Do-Dad’s
Selecting a Golden Jubilee tomato for the soup
Thanks to Ambitious Kitchen for the foundational recipe!
Ingredients
For the roasted tomatoes:
3 - 3.5 pounds tomatoes, cut into roastable chunks or pieces
8-12 cloves garlic, peeled (depending on how garlicky you like things; we like the kick of more garlic)
3 tablespoons olive oil (I simply drizzle until it feels like the tomatoes are fully covered with oil)
Freshly ground salt and pepper (Mike and I like loads of pepper - adds to the tang)
For the caramelized onions:
½ tablespoon olive oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Additions to the soup:
1/2 - 1+ cup packed basil leaves (I love basil and usually have a lot growing in the garden, so I always use at least one cup, often more.)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cups water or vegetarian broth, depending on how thick you want the soup (I typically use a mix of water and broth, so the tomato flavor stays most prominent.)
Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
Optional add ins:
Light/Regular coconut milk for a creamy vegan soup
Whole dairy milk/heavy cream for a creamy texture
Parmesan cheese, for a tangy, flavor enhancing flavor
A tablespoon or two of butter, for richer flavor
Perfect complement:
Mini grilled cheese, sage sandwich croutons
Sauteed sage leaves to top the soup
Ingredients at the ready. Includes a mix of my dad’s Early Girl, Golden Jubilee and a few roma tomatoes from Whole Foods
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomatoes pieces and garlic cloves on the baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil or as much as you need to fully drizzle across all the tomatoes. Generously season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, you can carmelize the onions: Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to a large pot and place over medium heat. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally. Check onions every 5-10 minutes until they have completely caramelized and turned golden in color. This usually takes 20-25 minutes.
Once tomatoes and garlic are done roasting, allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes. Then add them with all the juices that are now on the parchment paper from the roasting to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until smooth. Next add the carmelized onions and blend again. Then add the basil and blend. Alternatively you can add the tomatoes to the large pot and use an immersion blender. It's a matter of what you have available to you.
After blending, transfer back to pot, turn to medium low heat and add in oregano, vegetarian broth and salt and pepper to taste. From there you can add in any additional add-ons you want (as listed in the ingredients). Allow tomato soup to simmer 10 minutes before serving.
Consider garnishing with parmesan cheese or sauteed sage.
Consider serving with mini-grilled cheese, sage crouton sandwiches (future blog post).
Serves 4-6+ depending on serving size and how many tomatoes you use.
Chopping into roastable pieces
Pressing garlic with knife makes peeling so easy!
Drizzling olive oil on the tomatoes and garlic
Happily seasoning away….
Ready for roasting
I do love to carmelize the onions…
Getting nice and golden brown
Carmelized goodness
Roasted goodness
Roasted tomatoes and garlic ready for blending
Smooth and creamy
Carmelized onions in…
Nice and blended
Beautiful basil rinsed, spun and ready for use - Mike and I highly recommend a salad spinner if you don’t already have one…
Basil processed in the soup!
Blended soup back in a pot. Oregano in!
Veggie broth in!
Butter in for extra creaminess - milk and nut milk also works well
Voila! YUMMY!
Wow that tastes good - sweet and roasted with just the right bit of kick!
Roasted tomato basil soup I mini-grilled cheese sage sandwich croutons I sauteed sage leaf
1st course served for the Do-Dad’s birthday BBQ
Ready for slurping up, switching between spoon and sandwich as spoon
About to eat the soup with the yummy sandwich crouton - Happy Boolo moment for Mike!
Followed by cheddar apple burger I roasted parsnips carrots I autumn apple salad with candied nuts
Close-up - carmelized onions on top of cheddar burger
Loving this meal!
If you are wondering what perfect-for-fall dessert we finished up this birthday meal with, stay tuned for next week’s foodie post - a French classic that only requires four ingredients.
Happy Birthday Do-Dad!
And wishing everyone many yummy, cozy fall food moments!