Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup with Parmesan

Full of aromatic flavours, a warm bowl of this Tomato Basil Soup is my ideal comfort food.

Making it at home using freshly roasted Tomatoes with a handful of fresh Basil is so easy. Yet, it’s a thousand times better than any store-bought variety.

I like to enhance it further, making it creamier and cheesy using Parmesan cheese. Such a delight!

Soups at our home has always been eaten more or less as a starter before a wholesome meal. However, you can have this Tomato Basil Soup as a meal in itself paired with some fresh bread. Focaccia, French bread or Crusty sourdough bread are great to dip in the soup.

You can also get a little fancier and have it along with a grilled cheese sandwich or pour the soup inside a bread bowl.

There is really so many ways you can amp it up. But without wasting any more time, let me share with you how to make this delicious Tomato and Basil Soup.

How do we make this homemade Soup- Step by Step

Roast the tomatoes with Rosemary or Thyme

Slice your ripened tomatoes into halves. Arrange them on a baking tray with the cut side facing upwards. Sprinkle each tomato slice with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Add a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with good quality olive oil and roast the tomatoes in a preheated oven for about 45mins.

Saute onion, garlic and then add fresh Basil

When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, you can start preparing the soup. In a medium to large saucepan, add butter and Olive oil, you could use just one if preferred, but using them both gives a really nice flavour. Sauté chopped onion and garlic together until the onion gets a pale brownish colour. Stir in your Basil.

Transfer roasted tomatoes into the saucepan with a chicken stock

Your tomato should be roasted enough by now, and you can pour it in along with it’s juices into the saucepan. Ensure to remove the sprigs before transferring it in. Follow by adding in 3 cups of homemade Chicken Broth or you could just add 3 cups of water along with a chicken stock cube and stir well. Let it boil and then keep it on a simmer for about 20-30mins with the lid on.

Blend it until smooth. Add parmesan and cream. Enjoy warm!

Use an immersion blender and blend it all into a smooth mixture (You can also do this in a regular blender, but you’ll need to turn off the heat to cool completely, and may need to blend in batches. It takes a little more time, which is why I prefer an immersion blender instead). After it is all blended completely, you can adjust the soup taste and thickness according to your preference. Add more water if required. Follow by adding in a heavy cooking cream and parmesan cheese. Serve it warm!

Seeing all these steps may feel a little daunting to try out, but it is actually very easy to make. It is minimal effort as well, just requires a little patience to ensure it turns out perfect, flavourful and smooth.

Other recipes you will love: Thai Pasta Salad, Garlic Herbed Beef Burger, Spicy Shrimp Tacos

This Tomato Basil Soup recipe can be doubled easily and you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Pretty awesome when you want to store and savour these summer flavours during the cooler, fall and winter evenings.

Do try it out and let me know what you think!

RECIPE for Tomato Basil Soup:

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup with Parmesan

Recipe by Aysha SaihaCourse: Soups, AppetizersDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Tomato Roasting

45

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

25

minutes

Ingredients

• 8-9 medium, ripe tomatoes, halved lengthwise

• Salt, pepper, red chilli flakes (as needed to season the tomato)

• A few sprigs of rosemary or thyme

• 2+ 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1 medium sized onion, chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried Basil)

• 3 cups water, more if preferred

• 1 (10gm) Chicken Stock cube (or vegetable stock)

• 1/4 cup heavy cooking cream

• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C and arrange the tomatoes on a baking tray with the cut side facing upwards. Sprinkle each tomato slice with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Add a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and roast the tomatoes in a preheated oven for about 45mins.
• Once the tomatoes are almost prepped, about 30mins inside the oven, start preparing the soup. In a medium to large saucepan, add butter and Olive oil. Add in chopped onion and garlic. Cook until the onion gets a pale brownish colour (10min approx) and then stir in your Basil.
• Remove the roasted tomatoes out of the oven, and dispose of the rosemary/thyme sprigs. Transfer tomatoes into the saucepan along with all the juices left in the baking tray.
• Add the water and chicken stock cube. You may also alternate this step by using 3 cups of homemade/ store-bought chicken broth instead. Stir and let it boil. Once boiled, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20-30mins with the lid on.
• Once it is well cooked, use an immersion blender and Purée the entire mixture until smooth. Stir in the cooking cream and parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and serve warm!