Freezer-Friendly Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Introduction

This Freezer-Friendly Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is the best when tomatoes are ripe and in season, but can be made anytime of the year. Originally inspired by Ina Garten's recipe, roasting the tomatoes, onions, & garlic gives the soup a delightful depth and flavor. The cheesy bread topping is optional but definitely takes it over the top.

Why You'll Love This Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe

Easy & efficient - Roasting the vegetables and preparing the base at the same time saves you time in the kitchen.

Family-friendly - Classic comfort food that everyone will enjoy.

Perfect for leftovers or meal prep - Double the batch to stock up your freezer! Save some for a meal and freeze the rest.

Customizable - Adjust the creaminess by adding more or less cream and change how much you puree the soup to adjust the chunkiness, based on your preference. Change up the herbs to make it your own.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This tomato soup starts with fresh tomatoes that are roasted to concentrate their natural flavors and sweetness using Roma tomatoes specifically due to their meaty texture and low moisture. Onions, garlic & basil give a flavorful aromatic base while the broth will help give consistency and depth. The addition of canned tomatoes and tomato based is unique but are added to ensure the brightness of the tomatoes and to help with the body of the soup.  

Additional Add-ins or Toppings

Make this soup your own by adding additional toppings for some crunch and more flavor.  A fun way to serve this is as a Make Your Own Bar for friends and family.

• Fresh Chopped Basil
• Extra Ground Black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Chive Oil
• Garlic & Herbed Croutons
• Pesto Swirl
• Crispy Chickpeas
• Crumbled Crackers
• Toasted Pepitas
• Chopped Anchovies

How to Make Step by Step: Freezer-Friendly Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Gather & Prep Ingredients - This recipe calls for a combination of fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes. You can use any type of canned tomato for this recipe as you’ll be blending it at the end. Your canned tomato options are crushed tomatoes (our preferred canned tomato), diced tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes.

Roast Tomatoes in 400 °F Oven - Clean and halve your tomatoes. Cut your onions and peel garlic. Add them all in a single layer to a large-rimmed baking sheet. Coat with olive oil and add butter, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Place in a pan and roast for about 60 minutes. 

Add Rest of Ingredients - Add canned tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, until slightly thickened, for 30 minutes. Puree with a blender, food processor or stick blender until desired consistency.

Add Cream to Pureed Tomato Soup - Return to the pot if you used a blender or food processor and add a splash of cream.

Serve Warm with Garnish - Add a suggested garnish or top with toasted bread and cheese and toast up under the broiler.

Pro Tips for Freezer-Friendly Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Swaps

• Herb Swap - Consider swapping basil for oregano and parsley
• Flavor Boost - add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika to add some smokier flavors.
• Tomato Variety - Use a mix of tomato types (Roma, cherry, heirloom) for more complexity
• Savory Base - Cook turkey or beef bacon at the start and use the rendered fat as the soup base for more depth and save the cooked bacon to crumble on top.

Options for blending soup

• Blender - Fill blender half way up, venting the lid and covering with a towel to prevent steam pressure from popping the lid off.
• Food processor - Same instructions as the blender.
• Food mill - Best part about this option, is that it will help remove seeds and skins.
• Immersion blender - fastest and easiest way to blend directly in the pot.

Tips

• Boost flavor - Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste with the canned tomatoes to deepen the umami base of the soup making it richer.  
• Vegetarian/Vegan - Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Instead of the heavy cream you can just use alternative milk such as cashew cream, coconut milk, or omit.  
• Add Vegetables - Add carrots and red peppers when roasting to get more depth into the soup.

FAQ

Can I use “diced tomatoes” instead of “crushed tomatoes”?

Yes!  Since the recipe is being blended, any canned tomato works. Crushed is called out in the recipe as the preferences since it starts at a smoother texture.

How do I make this vegetarian?

Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.  Swap the butter with oil.  Swap the cream with dairy-free alternatives to make it vegan.

How long can you store Roasted Tomato Soup?

Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to freeze the Roasted Tomato Soup in Souper Cubes Trays?

Our favorite way to freeze the Tomato Soup is with Souper Cubes trays by building and freezing the soup in two Souper Cubes 1-cup trays.

First, pour the soup into desired Souper Cubes trays up to the desired fill line. We like using our Souper Cubes 1-cup trays or Souper Cubes 2-cup trays. Place the lid on top once the food has fully cooled. Label the lid with our labeling tape or water-based paint makers.

Set the tray flat in your freezer and stack remaining trays on top and freeze overnight. Once the food is solid, you can leave your meal in the Souper Cubes trays, but then that ties up your trays for freezing other meals until you use the tomato soup. We suggest transferring the components of each well to a freezer-safe zippered bag, reusable bag, or vacuum sealed bag for longer storage.

How long does Roasted Tomato Soup last in the freezer?

We say 3-4 months for optimal freshness. However, as long as it has been consistently frozen, it’s safe to eat indefinitely. For longer term storage transfer frozen cubes to a vacuum sealed bag for best results and to prevent freezer burn.

How to reheat frozen Roasted Tomato Soup?
When it’s time to reheat the tomato soup, you will want to pull the tray from the freezer and transfer it to Souper Cubes 5-inch Rectangle Baking Dish and to the fridge to thaw. This lets you cut down on the reheating process. However, if you forget to thaw in advance, that’s okay too! The easiest way to reheat from frozen is using your microwave. You can also place the frozen cubes in a pot with a splash of water or milk over a low heat until it begins to simmer.