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5 from 16 votes

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Sweet-Bread Croutons

This creamy version of roasted tomato basil soup is made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, heavy cream, a touch of vodka, and lots of leafy green basil! It's topped with deliciously airy, sweet-bread croutons and finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr 10 mins
Total Time1 hr 25 mins
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 924kcal

Ingredients

Roasted tomatoes and garlic:

  • 3 pounds tomatoes Campari, vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes work best
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin, for drizzling
  • 2 heads of garlic whole
  • a few pinches of kosher salt

Tomato basil soup:

  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
  • 6 ounces tomato paste 1 can
  • 2 tablespoons vodka optional
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • lots of fresh leafy basil chopped
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese finely-shredded, for garnish

Portuguese sweet-bread croutons

  • 3 Portuguese sweet-rolls
  • drizzle olive oil extra-virgin
  • pinch kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

Roast the tomatoes and garlic

  • Preheat oven to 425°F
  •  Keep the heads of garlic in-tact by not breaking the cloves apart. Cut the top off of each head of garlic and drizzle the exposed cloves with 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil per head. Wrap each head in foil and set aside.
  • Rinse and halve each tomato. Arrange the tomatoes on 2 large foil-lined baking sheets. Keep a little bit of space between each tomato to allow the juices to run off.  Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and a few pinches of kosher salt. Make room on the baking sheets for each head of garlic. 
  • Roast the tomatoes and garlic in the oven for 30-40 minutes. 
  • Remove each baking sheet from the oven and let cool slightly. The tomatoes will look slightly charred around the edges and liquid will pool around each tomato.
  • Unwrap each garlic head from the foil and remove the garlic cloves from their casings. The garlic should be soft.
  • Transfer the tomatoes and garlic to a food processor. Cover the food processor bowl with a lid and puree for 1 full minute. Set aside.
  • Prepare the roasted tomato basil soup
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onions and saute them until they become soft and translucent.
  • Add the tomato paste, onion powder and garlic powder and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring every few seconds.
  • Add the vodka and let the alcohol cook off (this takes about 1-2 minutes).
  • Add the tomato/garlic puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, and sugar. Stir and cover the pot.
  • Let the soup simmer over a low flame for 25-30 minutes. You can lift the lid to stir the soup every 10 minutes or so. While the soup simmers, prepare the croutons.

Prepare the Portuguese sweet-bread croutons

  • Adjust the oven temperature to 350°F.
  • Halve each sweet-roll horizontally and cut into ¾-inch cubes.
  • Place the bread cubes on a large (clean and dry) baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer.
  • Lightly drizzle the bread cubes with olive oil and a pinch or 2 of salt and pepper.
  • Bake the croutons at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until they reach a golden-brown color.

Add the finishing touches to the soup 

  • After the soup has simmered for 20-25 minutes, taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Chop the basil and add it to the pot with the 3 remaining cubes of cold butter. Stir and cover the pot, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Turn the flame off and let the pot sit covered for 5-10 minutes.
  • Give the pot of soup one final stir and ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl of soup with a few sweet bread croutons, a sprinkle of finely-shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and fresh black pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 924kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 42730mg | Potassium: 1887mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 4449IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 417mg | Iron: 4mg