Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup
Tomatoes roasted until their edges char and their sugars concentrate, then blended smooth with garlic and basil. With so few ingredients there is nothing to hide behind, so good tomatoes make all the difference.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 2 kgripe tomatoes, halved (or 2 x 400g tins whole plum tomatoes)
- 1onion, quartered
- 4 clovesgarlic, unpeeled
- 3 tbspolive oil, divided
- 2 cupsvegetable stock
- 1 cupfresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
- 1 tspsugar, optional, to balance acidity
- 1 tspsalt, or to taste
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
Cookware
- Roasting tray
- Blender or stick blender
- Soup pot
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Roast
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Toss the tomatoes, onion and unpeeled garlic cloves with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, salt and pepper on a roasting tray. Roast for 30 minutes until the tomato skins are blistered and charred at the edges.
- 02
Peel the garlic
Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft roasted cloves out of their skins. They should slip out easily.
- 03
Blend
Transfer the roasted vegetables and garlic to a blender with the vegetable stock and basil leaves. Blend until completely smooth, working in batches if your blender is small, and open the vent in the lid to let steam escape.
- 04
Simmer and adjust
Pour the soup into a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Taste it, and if the tomatoes were very acidic, stir in the sugar. Adjust the salt and pepper.
- 05
Serve
Ladle into bowls, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and top with torn basil leaves.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.