Hot or Cold Fresh Tomato Soup with Basil

Hot or cold fresh tomato soup flavored with basil 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 fantastic choice. It’s just 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
• 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.

If you love chilled soups, see a wide selection of Naturally Vegan Cold Soups (with lots of gazpacho variations).

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Yield: 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 12 minutes

Total Time 12 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
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 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, add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
4. To serve hot, heat the soup gently until it comes to a rapid simmer. To serve cold, cover and refrigerate 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:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g

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.

If you like this summer soup, you might also enjoy …

Cold Green Pea and Cucumber Soup

Here are lots more delicious vegan soups & stews.

Photos of tomato soup: Elena Veselova/Bigstock