Escape into a bowl of pure comfort with this copycat of Panera's Tomato Soup, a vibrant and deeply flavorful dish perfect for any season. Imagine serving it alongside a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, a crisp green salad, or perhaps a side of Instant Pot Mac and Cheese for a full meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This recipe stands out because roasting the tomatoes intensifies their natural sweetness and deepens their flavor, creating a more complex soup than those made with raw or canned tomatoes. The addition of fresh basil brightens the rich tomato base, providing a fragrant and herbaceous counterpoint.
- Deep, Rich Flavor: Roasting the tomatoes brings out an incredible sweetness and depth, creating a far more complex taste than ordinary tomato soup.
- Fresh and Aromatic: Tastes just like your favorite Panera soup! The vibrant addition of fresh basil provides a beautiful, fragrant counterpoint to the roasted tomatoes.
- Simple Elegance: Despite its gourmet taste, this recipe is surprisingly easy to make, delivering impressive results with minimal fuss.
Ingredients Overview
At its heart, this copycat of Panera's Tomato Soup recipe relies on ripe tomatoes, which are roasted to perfection, along with fresh basil. Olive oil, garlic, onion, and vegetable broth round out the core ingredients, building a robust and flavorful base.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Substitutions and Variations
If you don't have access to vine ripened tomatoes, you can use Italian Plum tomatoes, canned or fresh. They'll have better flavor than hot house tomatoes.
- Spice It Up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes during the roasting process with the tomatoes, or a dash of cayenne pepper when blending, for a subtle or noticeable kick of heat.
- Add Creaminess: For a richer, more indulgent soup, stir in ¼ to ½ cup of heavy cream, half-and-half, or even a dairy-free option like full-fat coconut milk (for a subtle tropical hint) after blending.
- Herbaceous Twist: Beyond basil, experiment with other fresh herbs like oregano or thyme roasted with the tomatoes, or stirred in at the end for different aromatic profiles
How to Make Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Step 1: Start with fresh vine ripened tomatoes and fresh thyme and basil leaves. Quarter the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Place the quartered tomatoes in a baking dish. Add the garlic cloves, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake 35 minutes.
Step 3: In a large dutch oven pot, add the butter and onion and saute for 6 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste.
Step 4: Add the balsamic vinegar and the roasted tomatoes, garlic, 3 sprigs of the thyme, and the basil leaves to the dutch oven pot.
Step 5: Pour the vegetable stock into the dutch oven pot. Cover and simmer on a medium to medium high heat for 30 minutes. Remove the thyme.
Step 6: Using a stick blender, puree the pot of roasted tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Puree until smooth and creamy.
Step 7: Simmer and stir for 10 minutes, then serve.
Tips for Success
- Don't Rush the Roasting: Allow your tomatoes ample time in the oven to truly caramelize and soften; this is where the deep, concentrated flavor of the soup develops.
- Use Fresh, Ripe Basil: The quality of your basil significantly impacts the final taste, so opt for fresh, vibrant leaves for the best aromatic and bright notes.
- Adjust Seasoning at the End: Taste the soup after blending and before serving, adding salt, pepper, or a touch more sugar if needed, to perfectly balance the flavors.
Storage Options
- Refrigerator: Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze cooled soup in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Leave some headspace in containers, as liquids expand when frozen.
- Reheating: Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat as above. For quicker reheating, you can place the frozen soup block (if in a bag) or container directly into a pot with a little water over low heat, or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
While dried basil can be used in a pinch, fresh basil is strongly preferred for this recipe. Its vibrant, aromatic quality is a signature component of a great tomato basil soup and will significantly impact the final taste.
Generally, no, the skins soften during roasting and can be blended in, but some prefer to remove them for a smoother texture.
Roasting with the skin on, as it helps concentrate flavor. The skins can be left on as you will be blending the soup very smoothly, and they disappear.
Serving Suggestions
After ladling this creamy tomato soup into bowls, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and add a slice of garlicky Texas Toast! This creamy tomato basil soup goes perfectly with our Chicken Salad Sandwich without Celery, Grinder Sandwich, or Keto BLT Wraps!
More Delish Recipes
- Chicken Kreplach Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Summer Corn Chowder
- Autumn Squash Soup
- Chicken Salad Wraps
- Cowboy Soup
Get The Recipe!
Copycat Panera Bread Tomato Soup
Equipment
- Stick Blender
- Cast Iron Enameled Dutch Oven Pot
Ingredients
- 10 vine ripened tomatoes, quartered approximately 2 lbs of tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, whole
- 6 sprigs fresh Thyme
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 10 fresh Basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Add the quartered tomatoes, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, sprigs of thyme, and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes.10 vine ripened tomatoes, quartered, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, whole, 6 sprigs fresh Thyme
- Add the butter and onion to an enameled dutch oven pot. Saute on medium high for 5 to 6 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Cook for one more minute.1 tablespoon butter, 1 medium onion, chopped, 6 ounces tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven. Add the tomatoes, garlic, 3 of the thyme sprigs, and the fresh basil leaves to the dutch oven pot. Add the vegetable broth. Simmer for 30 minutes.3 cups vegetable broth, 10 fresh Basil leaves
- Using the stick blender, puree the soup mixture in the dutch oven pot until the tomato soup is creamy. Simmer until ready to serve.
Notes
- Tomatoes: If you don't have seasonal ripe tomatoes, use the Caprese tomatoes that are about 2" diameter in the plastic tub. One tub should be about 2 lbs.
- Peeling the tomatoes before or after roasting is not necessary.
- Don't Rush the Roasting: Allow your tomatoes ample time in the oven to truly caramelize and soften; this is where the deep, concentrated flavor of the soup develops.
- Use Fresh, Ripe Basil: The quality of your basil significantly impacts the final taste, so opt for fresh, vibrant leaves for the best aromatic and bright notes.
- Adjust Seasoning at the End: Taste the soup after blending and before serving, adding salt, pepper, or a touch more sugar if needed, to perfectly balance the flavors.
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