This rich and creamy Homemade Tomato Soup is made with a can of San Marzano Tomatoes, fresh and roasted Roma Tomatoes, then thickened with pine nuts.
A swirl of fresh Basil Pesto really amps up the flavour profile and gets those taste buds tingling. Vegan and vegetarian recipe options available.
Tomatoes are the star of the show here on the blog! During the summer we can’t get enough of fresh garden tomatoes and herbs in this Tomato Cucumber Herb Salad. Every fall, we can up a case of Roma tomatoes to make our annual Roma Tomato Passata.
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup
This recipe for homemade tomato soup has been a long time coming and I’m so glad to finally share the recipe with you today! There is nothing more satisfying than sitting down to a bowl of this soup.
I don’t want to toot my own horn but the flavour and bisque-like texture of this soup is second to none and certainly far above soup that comes from a can. Plus, it’s so EASY!
How Do You Get the Most Flavourful Tomato Soup?
The answer is triple the tomatoes…to triple the Tomato Soup Flavour! In most recipes, but especially ones as simple as this one, the quality of ingredients is of greatest importance.
This recipe contains fresh Roma Tomatoes grown right in our backyard, both fresh and oven roasted. In addition, adding a whole can of San Marzano tomatoes really coaxes out maximum tomato flavour in this soup.
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A Flavour and Texture Experiment
I did a little flavour/texture experiment with this soup. First I tested half of the soup with just the four main ingredients; tomatoes, stock, onion, and garlic. Then I tested the other half using a thickening agent like pine nuts.
Both versions had a light creamy texture (I attribute this to the Vitamix #notsponsored) but the pine nut version was creamier and had such a nice nutty flavour.
If you don’t have pine nuts, toast up some raw cashews or sunflower seeds. All three will add a bit of sweetness and are a great way to make vegetable soups ultra creamy.
Vegans rejoice! You can easily substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock and use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese in the basil pesto.
Finally, adding nuts instead of cream to this soup is the last step in making a super creamy vegan tomato soup.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
Both versions of this soup are tasty on their own. However, if you want to amp up the flavour even more, adding basil is the way to go. There’s just something about the two flavours that really compliment each other.
Basil is one of those herbs that can be difficult to grow but this summer I discovered the secret. Not only do tomatoes and basil taste great together, but they grow well together too!
Taking the time to whip up a fresh batch of Basil Pesto really takes this soup to another level. It’s really easy to make, just place fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, finely grated Parmesan Cheese, and a squeeze of lemon in the bowl of a food processor.
Season, then process and drizzle in olive oil until you have reached your desired consistency. That’s it! I love the colour contrast between the swirl of bright green pesto on the bright orange soup.
Serve this creamy homemade tomato soup with a slice of buttered whole wheat no knead bread or easy and cheesy Bisquick Cheddar Biscuits.
Is Tomato Soup Healthy For You?
Oh, heck yes! Especially this version. It’s packed full of tomatoes which are extremely high in lycopene. Lycopene is an anti-oxidant which is linked to bone health as well as reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Tomatoes are also high in Vitamins C and K, plus they have a lot of Potassium and fibre.
Yield: 8 servings
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup
This rich and creamy tomato soup is made with a can of San Marzano Tomatoes, fresh and oven dried Roma Tomatoes, then thickened with pine nuts. A swirl of fresh Basil Pesto really amps up the flavour profile and gets those taste buds tingling. Vegan and vegetarian options available.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic; minced
- 1 medium onion; chopped
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 cups sun dried or oven driedRoma Tomatoes
- 28 oz. San Marzano Tomatoes (whole or diced)
- 8 FreshRoma Tomatoes; cut in quarters and de-seeded
- 4 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock for vegan/vegetarian option)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts; slightly toasted (you can also useraw cashews or sunflower seeds)
- 1/3 cup pesto; freshly made or store bought (vegan pesto can be made by substituting Nutritional yeast for theParmesan cheese)
FOR THE PESTO
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; finely grated
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- squeeze of lemon
Instructions
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking for another few minutes until onion becomes translucent.
- Season with salt and dried basil.
- Add can of tomatoes, chopped fresh tomatoes, and dried roasted tomatoes to the pot. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Add four cups of chicken broth (or veggie broth) and cover. Allow to simmer on low to medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Add pine nuts and 1/3 cup pesto to the soup just before processing.
- Process hot soup in batches until texture becomes creamy or use an immersion blender.
FOR THE PESTO
- While the soup is simmering, make the pesto by placing fresh basil leaves, cup toasted pine nuts, cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process and drizzle in olive oil until you have reached your desired consistency.
Notes
To roast Roma Tomatoes: Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise, then again so that there are four quarters. Remove seeds. Place on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season. Bake in 350 F oven for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
To make this soup vegan: Substitute vegetable stock in place of chicken stock and nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan cheese)
To achieve the ultra creamy body of this soup, you need a high powered blender such as a Vitamix.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
2 cups
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 288Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 531mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 10g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
