Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil (Print Version)
Velvety blend of roasted garlic, ripe tomatoes, and basil for a comforting and flavorful dish.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved
02 - 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
03 - 1 head garlic, top sliced off
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
→ Herbs & Seasonings
05 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
06 - 1 tsp dried oregano
07 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Pantry
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 3 cups vegetable broth
→ Dairy (optional)
11 - 1/4 cup heavy cream, for swirling (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange tomatoes cut side up, onion, carrot, and the garlic head on the lined baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
03 - Roast the vegetables for 35 to 40 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and garlic becomes soft and golden.
04 - Allow the garlic to cool slightly, then squeeze the softened cloves from the bulb.
05 - Transfer the roasted vegetables and extracted garlic to a large pot; add vegetable broth, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using.
06 - Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
07 - Puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or, carefully, a countertop blender in batches.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
09 - Optionally, stir in heavy cream to enrich the texture and flavor.
10 - Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve hot.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The roasting step sounds fancy but requires almost no active cooking time, leaving you free to do other things.
- Those caramelized notes in the finished soup taste like you spent hours simmering, when really the oven handles most of it.
- A single batch feeds four people or makes perfect portions for leftovers that taste even better the next day.
02 -
- Don't skip the roasting step or try to shortcut it—that's where the magic happens, turning raw tomatoes into concentrated sweetness and depth.
- If your tomatoes taste acidic in the finished soup, a small pinch of sugar can balance it better than adding more salt.
- An immersion blender kept in the pot saves you time and means fewer dishes, but a regular blender works just fine if that's what you have.
03 -
- Don't blend the soup until it's completely cooled—hot soups can splash when blending, and the slower you move the immersion blender, the smoother the result.
- If you accidentally overbuy garlic or tomatoes, this is the perfect recipe to make twice and freeze portions for those moments when you need comfort food fast.