This recipe for creamy tomato basil soup makes a blended tomato soup with carrot, onion, celery, a separate roux, half-and-half, fresh basil, and Parmesan. The measured ingredients and preparation notes below explain portions, timing, and finishing checks.
creamy tomato basil soup uses a vegetable base with equal cup measures of carrot, onion, and celery. This is a larger six-portion batch, with two cans tomatoes and four cups broth before the dairy is added. A separately made roux thickens the blended soup. Fresh basil enters near the end rather than spending the whole cooking time simmering, so it remains distinct from the dried herbs used in the base.
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Why This Recipe Works
The finely diced vegetables soften more evenly in creamy tomato basil soup than large uneven pieces. Blending after they are tender gives a smoother result without relying on more cream to disguise hard carrot fragments. The separate butter-and-flour mixture is loosened with hot soup before returning to the main pan. That gradual process reduces lumps and keeps a stiff roux from floating as an unblended block in a large pot.
Ingredients for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
For creamy tomato basil soup, use two fourteen-and-a-half-ounce cans diced tomatoes with their juices. The broth is low-sodium chicken broth; a vegetable broth can be chosen with its label checked, but the listed chicken version is not vegetarian. Half-and-half is one and a half cups. Butter and flour are each half a cup and belong to the separate thickener. Fresh basil is a quarter cup chopped, and Parmesan is one cup finely grated. Begin with half a teaspoon salt because the broth and cheese already add seasoning.
Vegetables
- 29 ounces canned diced tomatoes (Two 14.5 oz cans, all juices)
- 1 cup carrot (Finely diced)
- 1 cup onion (Finely diced)
- 1 cup celery (Finely diced)
Base and dairy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh basil (Chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Roux
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
How to Make Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Sauté finely diced carrot, onion, and celery in olive oil for eight to ten minutes. Stir in tomatoes, paste, broth, oregano, and dried basil. Simmer until all vegetables are soft, usually fifteen to twenty minutes. Use an immersion blender with the heat off and its head submerged, or cool enough to follow a countertop blender manufacturer instructions for hot liquid.
For creamy tomato basil soup, melt butter separately and whisk in flour, cooking gently two to three minutes. Whisk in hot soup a ladle at a time until the thickener flows, then stir it into the main pot. Simmer briefly with steady stirring. Add half-and-half, Parmesan, fresh basil, salt, and pepper over low heat and warm through without a vigorous boil.
How to Serve
Serve creamy tomato basil soup in six generous bowls, stirring the pot between ladles. The vegetable and roux base makes it substantial enough to accompany a simple separate bread or salad. A small amount of fresh basil can be reserved from the listed quarter cup for the top. Avoid adding an unmeasured second handful of cheese to the entire batch before tasting, because it changes both salt and thickness.
Storage
Refrigerate creamy tomato basil soup in shallow containers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F, and keep at 40°F or below. Use within three days rather than assuming a week is suitable for every home refrigerator. Reheat slowly with frequent stirring to 165°F. A thick soup can have a hot edge and a cooler center, so temperature is checked after mixing. Freezing may separate the dairy; divide a small trial portion if texture matters.
The FDA safe food handling guidance covers refrigeration and temperature checks for perishable foods.
Tips and Variations
For creamy tomato basil soup, use a pot with space above the liquid for blending and stirring. A countertop blender must never be tightly filled with steaming soup; work only as its hot-liquid instructions allow. Check carrot tenderness before blending. Whisk the roux as it cooks rather than leaving flour against direct heat. Keep fresh basil for the last stage, and use finely grated cheese so the low heat can melt it without prolonged boiling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetables enter creamy tomato basil soup?
One cup each finely diced carrots, onion, and celery.
Are canned tomato juices drained?
No. Add both fourteen-and-a-half-ounce cans with their juices.
Why loosen the roux separately?
Ladled soup thins it gradually so it can blend back without large lumps.
When is fresh basil added?
Near the end with dairy and cheese.
How long are leftovers refrigerated?
Use within three days at 40°F or below.
More Recipes to Try
- Creamy Tomato Soup from Scratch with Milk and Parmesan
- Easy Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe with Canned Tomatoes
- Easy Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic and Fresh Basil
- Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe with Thyme and Tomato Paste
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Vegetables and Parmesan
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 29 ounces canned diced tomatoes Two 14.5 oz cans, all juices
- 1 cup carrot Finely diced
- 1 cup onion Finely diced
- 1 cup celery Finely diced
Base and dairy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh basil Chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Roux
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Soften carrot, onion, and celery in olive oil 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, paste, broth, oregano, and dried basil. Simmer 15–20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Turn heat off and blend safely using a submerged immersion head or the hot-liquid instructions for your blender.
- In another pan melt butter, whisk in flour, and cook 2–3 minutes gently. Add several ladles of soup gradually until fluid; stir into the main pot and simmer 3–5 minutes.
- Over low heat incorporate half-and-half, Parmesan, chopped fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Warm without rolling boiling. Portion and cool leftovers promptly.
