Bursting with the freshest Italian flavors of tomato, fragrant basil leaves, and a touch of garlic and balsamic vinegar, this creamy soup is both simple yet gourmet.
Whether you use garden vine-ripe tomatoes in the summer or a canned good-grade plum tomato during the chilly winter months, it delivers the same comforting, cozy, restaurant-quality flavor right in your own kitchen.
Made with olive oil, butter, and a splash of cream, this creamy tomato basil soup has the perfect balance of tangy and sweet notes with a velvety smooth, silky texture.
It’s easy to prepare in under an hour and pairs beautifully with a classic grilled cheese sandwich, crusty warm Italian bread, or a side antipasto salad for a light meal.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian (or can be made vegan with simple swaps), and the aroma of basil, oregano, and garlic will make your kitchen smell absolutely off-the-charts fabulous.
Once you make this homemade version, you’ll never go back to store-bought soup again!
Why You’ll Love This Tomato Basil Soup
- Rich and Creamy Flavor: The combination of butter, cream, and tomatoes makes this soup rich and silky smooth with a velvety finish.
- Fresh or Canned Options: Ripe in-season fresh plum tomatoes are the best for a summer soup, or canned tomatoes when they’re out of season, perfect solutions for all year long.
- Simple Ingredients, Gourmet Taste: Made with everyday pantry staples like cold-pressed olive oil, freshly minced garlic, and basil, it tastes like it came from a 5 Star Italian restaurant.
- Perfect Comfort Food: Comforting for those cold, chilly nights, this soup warms you up from the inside out.
- Family Favorite: Even picky eaters love the creamy, rich tomato flavor, and perfectly paired with melted cheddar cheese sandwiches.
Optional Toppings
- crumbled cooked bacon
- fresh minced onion
- chopped fresh parsley
- hot sauce to taste
- croutons
- chopped onions
- chopped tomatoes
- diced ham instead of bacon
- grated cheese or mozzarella
Substitution Suggestions
- extra-sharp cheddar, jack cheese, jalapeno jack cheese, swiss cheese
- any butter unsalted
- beer instead of chicken broth (any beer you prefer)
- vegetable broth instead of chicken
- all Tabasco or hot sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce
- finely minced onion, or garlic, or use the powder form
- black pepper instead of white pepper
Suggestions for Ways To Serve It
- soda bread.wedges
- pita chips
- garlic bread
- potato chips
- croutons
- assorted crackers
- tortilla chips
- on steamed vegetables IE: broccoli, cauliflower
- drizzled on top of nachos
- drizzle on top of roasted vegetables or grilled vegetables or our grilled artichokes
- add this to a cheese board served with an assortment of fresh vegetables
- delicious with soft pretzel bites
- rye or pumpernickel bread
- serve alongside as a topping for burritos, or fish tacos for dip
- dip your french fries, potato wedges, or use the dip as a topping for baked potatoes
- over your favorite cooked pasta
- dip your sandwich into it
- perfect with cheesesteaks
- keep it warm in a slow cooker
- pour into covered crocks and on a board with the assortment of finger food sandwiches
- leftovers keep fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator and can be microwaved to reheat for around 30 seconds in a small dish
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Easy Tomato Basil Soup Fresh, Delightful Final Thoughts
This soup is thick and comforting and can be served as a starter for lunch, dinner, or just because it's a favorite.
As we suggested above, this soup is popular with Grilled Cheese to dunk in the delicious cream of tomato basil soup.
The many toppings can be anything from crunchy tortilla chips or croutons, then loaded with bacon and mozzarella cheese.
This best recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup is a timeless recipe that brings warmth, comfort, and classic Italian flavor to your table, not to mention being easy to make.
It’s the kind of meal that tastes like you've fussed all day, but your creation is done in under an hour.
Whether you’re cooking for family, friends, or just yourself, this soup should cbe omfort food any time of the day.
Serve it as an appetizer before a big meal, a light brunch, or alongside your favorite warm sandwich for a comforting yet heartwarming meal.
Yield: 6
Tomato Basil Soup
This is a creamy delicious comforting fresh Plum tomato soup with fresh minced basil. The soup is addicting in flavors keeping you coming back for more.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Ingredients
- 5 or 6 plum tomatoes (or use 2 cans of whole plum tomatoes drained)
- 3 cups of tomato juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, minced into small pieces ( around 14 basil leaves)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup heavy cream,
- salt, and pepper to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano ( I used all of them as we like it fragrant with these herbs)
Instructions
- Tools: soup pot, food processor.
- Put the tomatoes, broth, and balsamic vinegar, and add in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Note: for a chunkier soup, leave a few bits of tomatoes unprocessed.
- Heat a soup pot, add the olive oil, and saute the garlic in the olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes (be careful not to burn or over brown the garlic, it will become bitter).
- Stir in the pureed tomatoes and simmer on the lowest heat setting on your stovetop for 30 minutes.
- Add the butter and cream just until the butter melts on very low heat for around 3 minutes. DO NOT BOIL.
- Stir in the minced basil for another 2 minutes and serve.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Soup is best served the same day; basil tends to get very strong in flavor.
Notes
Suggestions for Ways To Serve It
- soda bread.wedges
- pita chips
- garlic bread
- potato chips
- croutons
- assorted crackers
- tortilla chips
- on steamed vegetables IE: broccoli, cauliflower
- drizzled on top of nachos
- drizzle on top of roasted vegetables or grilled vegetables or our grilled artichokes
- serve with cheese pizza
- delicious with soft pretzel bites
- rye or pumpernickel bread
- serve alongside as a topping for burritos, or fish tacos for dip
- dip your french fries, or potato wedges, or use the dip as a topping for baked potatoes
- over your favorite cooked pasta
- dip your sandwich into it
- perfect with cheesesteaks
- keep it warm in a slow cooker
- pour into covered crocks and on a board with the assortment of finger food sandwiches
- leftovers keep fresh for 3 days
Optional Toppings
- crumbled cooked bacon
- fresh minced onion
- chopped fresh parsley
- hot sauce to taste
- croutons
- chopped onions
- chopped tomatoes
- diced ham instead of bacon
- grated cheese or mozzarella
Tip: for the freshest flavors, add the basil always at the end of cooking. Drizzle a little EVOO on top, freshly cracked black pepper with more basil leaves for presentation.
Note: Soup is best served the same day, basil tends to get very strong in flavor.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
256.7Fat (grams)
24.95 gSat. Fat (grams)
11.03 gCarbs (grams)
8.56 gFiber (grams)
1.21 gNet carbs
7.34 gSugar (grams)
6.3 gProtein (grams)
2.06 gSodium (milligrams)
19145.2 mgCholesterol (grams)
41.45 mgThe default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
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Disclosure: original recipe was posted in 2010 and updated in 2025.
