Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Cream
On August 23, 2021 (Updated April 15, 2022)
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Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Cream is the ultimate tasty twist on classic comfort food. What used to be boring and bland from a can is transformed into the most velvety smooth soup with layers of garden-fresh flavor.
Smoked Tomato Soup
Ever have those summers when your garden tomatoes are coming off the vine faster than you can pick them? I swear this is me every year. If you’re in need of a great recipe that makes the best use of garden fresh tomatoes, smoked tomato soup is for you!
This tomato soup is not your childhood can o’ soup! Ripe, red tomatoes are smoke roasted to bring out their natural sweetness, and then combined with onions and carrots, basil, and cream for a mouthful of flavor in every bite. The decadent soup is topped with a fresh basil cream and served with some asiago cheese bread for the perfect meal.
Thank goodness my daughter asks for my homemade tomato soup often, so I have a great reason for using up all those ripe tomatoes.
Tomato Soup from Smoked Tomatoes
I’m not going to lie to you and say this soup is just as easy as cracking open a can from the store, but I will say that every additional step is worth the effort.
I grew up thinking I hated tomato soup. Everything from the watery texture to the tinny taste of the metal can made me run as fast as I could away from that nonsense. Now, I crave this smoked tomato soup. The flavors are complex and comforting and the texture is like smooth velvet in your mouth.
I know you and your family will LOVE it! We serve with toasted baguettes and shaved asiago cheese. My children request classic grilled cheese as well. If you are looking to up the mealtime power of this soup, adding cheese tortellini is a great option as well. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do!
How to Make Smoked Tomato Soup
The secret to this recipe is in the smoked tomatoes and luxurious basil cream. Here’s how to make your own smoked tomato soup. For a full recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page!
- Smoke. Begin by smoking those tomatoes! I put my quartered tomatoes on my wood fired pellet grill which really added a smoky flavor profile, but any indirect cooking method would do. There are various types of grills that would support this type of roasting (like a Coyote Asado grill, or a charcoal grill set up for two-zone cooking).
- Make the soup. Sautee the carrots and onions in olive oil in a large pot. Add in garlic, chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Add the smoked tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blend. Transfer the soup to a blender in batches until it is all pureed. Strain the soup. Return to your pot and add in heavy cream.
- Make the basil whipped cream. Whip heavy whipping cream to desired consistency. Add in minced basil.
- Enjoy! Serve the soup with a dollop of the basil whipped cream and enjoy!
If you are not interested in grilling, but still want to intensify the flavor of your tomatoes, follow the same time/temp guidelines in the recipe but just put the tomatoes in your oven. It won’t have the same smoky flavor, but it will still be delicious! P.S. homemade tomato soup is always a little orange, so don’t stress about getting a reddish color for your final soup.
More Grilled and Smoked Tomato Recipes
Loving the way these tomatoes transformed into a tasty smoked tomato soup? Try out these other delicious tomato recipes from Hey Grill Hey below! I guarantee you’ll love each and every one of them!
Smoked Tomato Soup Recipe
Things looking a bit different around here? We’ve made some changes! This post was originally published in September 2016. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips,but the recipe remains the same.
Make sure to come back to Hey Grill Hey to leave us a comment and let us know what you thought of this recipe. We love hearing from you!
Smoke Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil Cream
Ingredients
Tomato Soup
- 4 pounds garden fresh tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided use
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 medium red onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- ⅛ cup fresh basil julienned
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
Basil Whipped Cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup fresh basil minced
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 400 degrees. I used my pellet smoker for this recipe, but you can use your favorite smoker or any grill with an indirect heat source.
- Smoke the tomatoes. Place the quartered tomatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Set the baking sheet on the grill grates, close the lid, and roast for 30 minutes.
- Make the soup base. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Stir in the carrots and onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, and 1/8 cup of the fresh basil. Bring up to a simmer.
- Add the tomatoes. Slowly transfer the roasted tomatoes from the baking sheet into the soup pot, cover with the lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Puree and finish cooking. Carefully ladle the soup mixture into a blender and puree in batches until all of the soup is pureed. Pour the blended soup through a strainer to remove any leftover chunks or pulp. Return the soup to the pot and stir in 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Heat to desired temperature for serving.
- Make the basil whipped cream. Pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream into a bowl and beat until whipped and soft peaks form. Mince the 1/4 cup of basil and fold into the whipped cream.
- Serve. Serve the warm soup with a spoonful of the basil cream floating on top and toasted bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can we freeze?
I’ll bet those tomatoes are good! Homemade tomato soup is sooo much better than store-bought. Some time I’ve got to get around to using our Big Green Egg for smoking.