Easy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe (No Dairy)
This easy-to-make, dairy-free homemade tomato soup recipe is my go-to way to preserve tomatoes for a taste of summer during soup season! It is delicious, healthy, and you don’t have to blanch or peel any tomatoes to make it. The carrots, bell pepper, and potato add a little bit of hidden veggies and give the soup a creaminess without any dairy.
Homemade tomato soup is an all-time family favorite. With its creamy texture, rich flavor, and nostalgic flavor, everyone loves a steaming bowl of creamy tomato soup on a cold evening. As an avid tomato grower and a huge fan of tomato soup, I’ve tried a lot of different tomato soup recipes over the years and this one is the end result. It’s not just my favorite tomato soup recipe, it’s also one of my very favorite soup recipes overall!
Making this tomato soup for the freezer is a great way to preserve tomatoes for the winter. I love canning, but it is hot and time-consuming during this busy time of year! Freezing is my favorite way to preserve garden harvests and this easy tomato soup is the best.
Making a huge batch of tomato soup as meal prep for the winter is easy and your future self will certainly thank you.
Vegan Tomato Basil Soup
The great thing about this recipe is it is dairy free! The vegetables create a velvety texture without the use of cream, making for a delicious plant-based soup. Serve it up with a vegan grilled cheese sandwich or vegetable pesto panini!
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What is the Best Type of Tomato for Tomato Soup?
The most common tomatoes for tomato soup are plum tomatoes such as Roma, Amish Paste, or San Marzano. They are known to have the best flavor and texture for cooking. Many gardeners grow these tomatoes specifically because they are the best types of tomatoes for soup, sauce, and canning.
The beauty of this tomato soup is that it will taste good with any variety! If you have tomatoes that need to be used up, toss them in this recipe. I personally love making this soup with cherry tomatoes for a unique, sweeter flavor.
What to Serve with Tomato Basil Soup
Tomato soup is best served with your classic grilled cheese sandwiches! My personal favorite is sourdough grilled cheese made with cheddar cheese, chive cream cheese, basil, tomatoes, and onion slices. Tomato soup is also a great side or starter topped with some homemade croutons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove the tomato peels?
Yes. If you prefer a smoother soup, you can blanch the tomatoes and remove the peels before roasting. I like to leave the peels because it is easier, they add a deeper flavor, and they have more nutrients and fiber than the flesh.
Can I Add Dairy to this Soup?
Absolutely! I love that this soup is still delicious without any dairy in it, but you can certainly add a splash of cream to give it extra creaminess. I recommend adding ½ cup of cream and using ½ cup less of the broth.
Can You Freeze Tomato Soup?
Yes! That’s primarily what I do with this recipe. I’m not a huge fan of soup in the summer, but tomatoes aren’t in season during the cold months. In order to preserve my tomato harvests and have an easy, delicious meal on standby in the winter, I will make several quarts of this for the freezer each summer.
If you are adding cream, I would avoid freezing the soup with the cream in it. The cream separates during freezing, leaving you with a grainy soup. To remedy that, I would recommend adding the cream when you are reheating the soup if you are freezing it. Add ¼ cup of heavy cream to a quart jar of soup and simmer it for about 10 minutes once the soup has thawed.
How to Freeze Tomato Soup
Freeze the tomato soup in one-quart jars or quart freezer bags. One quart is the perfect size for my family of two with no leftovers, so you can adjust how much you need accordingly.
There are a couple of things to note so your jars don’t break in the freezer (ask me how I know!).
- 1. Always leave at least 2 inches of headspace in your jars. If the liquid is filled to the top, it will crack the jar as it expands during freezing.
- Make sure your soup is completely cool before you put it in the freezer. I usually let my soup cool to room temperature, put it in the jars, and then leave it in the fridge overnight before freezing. The less you temperature shock the jar, the less likely it is to break.
How to Thaw Frozen Tomato Soup
The best way to thaw your tomato soup is to take it out of the freezer the night or morning before you want to eat it (about 12-24 hours before) and leave it in the fridge to thaw. With this method, it will come out of the jar easily and you can heat it up on the stove quickly.
If you forget or didn’t plan ahead that far, you can run the jar under warm water and then slowly increase the temperature until your water is at maximum temperature. Once the jar is completely warmed up, pop it in the microwave for a few minutes until it’s thawed enough for you to get it out of the jar.
If you like soup, you’ll love these other recipes:
Easy Tomato Basil Soup
This tomato soup is so easy to make and tastes way better than anything from a can or carton!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of tomatoes
- 1 small yellow onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 large carrot
- 1 medium potato
- ½ of a red bell pepper
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- A pinch of sugar (optional, but helps cut the acidity)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the tomatoes, red pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic by chopping them roughly and tossing them in a drizzle of olive oil.
- Spread the prepared vegetables on a large baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 400° for 30 - 40 minutes.
- In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add the roasted veggies and cubed potato and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Add the salt and pepper, basil, thyme, sugar, and red pepper flakes and simmer another 5 minutes.
- Allow the soup to cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender until very smooth.
Notes
To make an even creamier soup, add ½ cup of heavy cream and reduce the vegetable broth by ½ cup.
