Ingredients (6 servings)
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 pound Campari tomatoes, halved
- 1 large head of garlic
- 4 to 5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 large bunch fresh basil (about 2 ounces)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Heavy cream, for serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Roast the Tomatoes and Garlic Head
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
On a large baking sheet, toss the Roma and Campari tomatoes with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Arrange them cut-side down.
Cut the top third off the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place it on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt. Wrap the foil into a tight pouch and place it on the baking sheet with the tomatoes.
Roast for ~40-50 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly browned.
Sauté the Aromatics and Simmer the Soup
While the tomatoes are roasting, melt the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for ~6-8 minutes, until softened. Stir in the fresh thyme and cook for another minute.
Add the roasted tomatoes and any juices from the pan to the pot. Squeeze the softened, roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and into the pot.
The garlic will be very soft and should squeeze out easily.
Pour in the San Marzano tomatoes, the broth, and add the fresh basil leaves. If you’re using red pepper flakes, add them now. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it cook for 45 minutes.
Purée and Finish the Soup
Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until it’s smooth.
This avoids the hassle of transferring hot soup to a blender.
Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of heavy cream, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and a few torn basil leaves.
Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients (6 servings)
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 1 pound Campari tomatoes halved
- 1 large head of garlic
- 4 to 5 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes 28-ounce
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 large bunch fresh basil about 2 ounces
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Heavy cream for serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Toss halved tomatoes with 3 tbsp olive oil and salt on baking sheet, arrange cut-side down.
- Wrap oil-drizzled garlic head in foil, place on same sheet.
- Roast tomatoes and garlic 40-50 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
- In Dutch oven, melt butter with 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Cook onion and minced garlic 6-8 minutes until soft, add thyme and cook 1 minute more.
- Add roasted tomatoes, squeezed roasted garlic, canned tomatoes, broth, basil, and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer covered on low 45 minutes.
- Purée soup with immersion blender until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with cream, Parmesan, and fresh basil.
