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Close-up of a white bowl filled with vibrant orange Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, topped with cream swirl, croutons, and fresh basil.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe provides instructions for making a creamy tomato basil soup, including options for slow cooker preparation and freezing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Roux Cooking Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 bowls
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 264
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, with the juice
  • 2 carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 celery ribs, finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
  • 1.5 teaspoons dried basil leaves
Roux and Finishing
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Use gluten-free flour for gluten-free adaptation
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Omit if freezing
  • 1.5 cups half and half (or whole milk) Omit if freezing
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Equipment

  • Large soup pot
  • Immersion blender or regular blender
  • Separate small pot

Method
 

  1. Add oil to a large soup pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add carrots, onions, and celery and sauté them for a few minutes.
  2. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the soup pot.
  4. In a separate pot, prepare the roux. Add butter to the pot over medium low heat and allow it to melt. Stir in the flour and whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color.
  5. Add a big ladle full of the soup to the roux; it will start to form a thick paste. Add a few more big scoops of soup to the roux and stir well until smooth. Add the roux mixture to the soup pot and stir to combine.
  6. Stir in the parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until warmed through.
  7. Store tomato basil soup covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 1095mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3445IUVitamin C: 12.5mgCalcium: 226mgIron: 1mg

Notes

For slow cooker preparation, add diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. Continue with step three of the main recipe. You can also make this in the Instant Pot.
To freeze this soup properly, leave out the cream and shredded cheese before freezing. Add the cream and cheese after reheating to prevent curdling.

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