Hot or Cold Fresh Tomato Soup with Basil

Hot or cold fresh tomato soup, flavored with basil and other fresh herbs, pairs well with so many types of meals. Make with summer’s most flavorful tomatoes for best results! And it’s so easy — most of the (few) ingredients in this fresh tomato soup recipe just get tossed in the blender.

This creamy tomato basil soup recipe is a gift to gardeners with a bumper crop of summer tomatoes. Non-gardeners can make this soup with summer tomatoes from the local farm market or CSA, of course.

If you’re looking for a summer soup that’s ready in little time, this is a great choice. It’s as good served hot or warm as it is fully chilled.

Ingredients for fresh tomato soup

• Tomatoes, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds (ripe and flavorful)
• Fresh basil and/or parsley and dill
• Scallions
• Spicy tomato juice or vegetable blend juice, or as needed
• Lemon, 1
• Salt and black pepper
• Natural granulated sugar or agave
• Sweet Paprika
• Dried hot red pepper flakes, sriracha, or gochugaru (optional)
• Olive oil (optional)

What kind of tomatoes to use: This recipe works well with classic beefsteak tomatoes, but any tomatoes that are ripe, flavorful, and juicy can be used, including heirloom tomatoes. Feel free to combine several varieties in this soup. See this helpful guide to tomato varieties.

What to serve with fresh tomato soup

• Served hot, this soup is a classic pairing with (vegan) grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Served cold, it’s delicious with leafy wraps like Olive Hummus Wraps with Greens and Avocado.
• It can also be served as a first course with crusty bread (or, add croutons), followed by grilled vegetables and/or pasta salads, or grain salads. Or a pasta and grain combo like Pasta Salad with Quinoa and Corn.

• Naturally Vegan Cold Soups (with lots of gazpacho variations)
• Cold Tomato Mango Coconut Soup
• Thyme-Scented Tomato Brown Rice Soup
• Vegan Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes

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Yield: 4 to 6

Hot or Cold Fresh Tomato Soup

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Hot or cold fresh tomato soup pairs well with so many types of meals. Make with summer's most flavorful tomatoes for best results!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds ripe, flavorful tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup small fresh basil leaves (or sliced basil (or combine with parsley and/or dill) plus more for garnish
• 1 to 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 cup spicy tomato juice or vegetable blend juice, or as needed
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, or to taste
• 1 to 2 teaspoons natural granulated sugar or agave, to taste
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Dried hot red pepper flakes, sriracha, or gochugaru, to taste, optional
• Olive oil for drizzling, optional

Instructions

1. Working in batches, process the tomatoes, herbs, and scallion to a puree in a blender.
2. If you plan on making this a hot soup, transfer each batch to a soup pot. Otherwise, transfer to a serving container to serve cold.
3. Either way, stir in the lemon juice, sugar (to balance if the tomatoes are acidic), and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, as well as the spicy seasoning of choice, to taste.
4. To serve hot, heat the soup gently until it comes to a rapid simmer. To serve cold, cover and refrigerate for an hour or two, until chilled. 
5. Garnish each serving with the fresh herb of your choice; add a drizzle of good olive oil if you'd like.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Saturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mg

Nutrition data is always an estimate depending on program used to calculate and exact products used. This is given for informational purposes only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Here are lots more delicious vegan soups & stews.

Photos of tomato soup: Elena Veselova/Bigstock