Simple Heirloom Tomato Soup with Basil
on Aug 03, 2021, Updated May 13, 2025
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This Simple Heirloom Tomato Soup with Basil is our anthem of summer. What we love about this soup is that it can be served cold or hot, and has no dairy. It’s super delicious and filled with flavor.
Looking for more heirloom tomato recipes? Try our Heirloom Tomato Caprese Sandwich and Caprese Salad with a Honey Cilantro Lime Dressing.
What are Heirloom Tomatoes?
Heirloom tomatoes are an open-pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom from the tomato family. This means there has been no human intervention. They come in all shapes and sizes and during the Summer seasons, are extremely juicy and filled with flavor.
- To pick the best heirloom tomatoes: Touch them to feel their texture. If they are too hard to touch, that means they are not ready yet. You want them firm, but also soft. If they are too soft, that means they are overripe, and the flesh may not taste as fresh.
- To store your heirloom tomatoes: Keep them at room temperature with the stem side down; this way, it won’t smoosh down on the other side of the tomatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This soup is paired with homemade crispy sesame croutons on the soup. These croutons dipped in the soup are just everything we dream of AND MORE. This recipe is:
- Done in 30 minutes with minimal prep
- Has fewer than 10 ingredients
- Packed with flavor from the vinegar and fresh tomatoes
- A great way to use in-season heirloom tomatoes
- Gluten-free swaps available
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including all our tips and substitutions.
Olive Oil and Aromatics: The base of the soup is olive oil, garlic, and onions, all tossed together with salt and pepper to create more flavor when we blend the tomatoes.
Heirloom Tomatoes: A mix of yellow and red tomatoes is roughly chopped and blended to create a delicious soup.
Basil: We are also blending in basil for freshness and loads of herbaceous flavor.
Vinegar and sugar: We love to mix in vinegar and/or sugar in most soups, as it brings home all the flavors. This is optional if you feel the flavor is already to your liking.
Sesame bread: To top our soup, finish with toasted sesame croutons!
The full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Tips and Substitutions
- Additions: While this is a dairy-free soup, you can opt to add heavy cream or butter to this. You can also check out our Tomato and Melon Gazpacho for a cold, vegetable-forward take that includes tomatoes.
- To make this Gluten-Free: Substitute with gluten-free bread, or omit the croutons altogether.
- To Roast: If you want to roast your tomatoes first, you can. This will also help intensify sweetness and add some smoky depth!
- Prepping: You can make this soup ahead of time and store it in the fridge up to 3 days until ready to warm back up to serve, or serve cold.
- Storing: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container and reheat either on the stovetop or serve cold.
How to Make Heirloom Tomato Soup
- In a skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in your onions and sweat out with salt and pepper for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Next, add in your chopped heirloom tomatoes and garlic. Let your tomatoes cook down and burst to get a little saucy, about 5 to 6 minutes. About halfway through, bring down the heat to medium-low to low and let simmer gently for another minute or two.
- Next, add in a handful of basil and stir until the basil becomes vibrant but not wilted, less than a minute. Remove your soup from the heat. Transfer your soup to a high-speed blender and blend with sherry vinegar and your remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and a dash of sugar as needed to taste.
- Serve hot or cold. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, your croutons, fresh basil, and fresh cracked pepper.
The full detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card below.
Serving Recommendations
Looking for some ideas to serve with this Heirloom Tomato Soup? We have you covered, see below:
- For Salads, try our Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh, Easy Melon Prosciutto Salad with Mint, or Endive Caesar Salad with Harissa Breadcrumbs.
- For Sides, check out our Easy Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Aioli, 30 Minute Kuku Sabzi: Herb-Packed Persian Frittata, or Classic French Escargot Recipe with Garlic Butter if you want to be fancy!
- For Grilling, we love our Grilled Corn with Tajin Lime Butter.
For more tomato recipes, check out our 15 Easy Tomato Dinner Recipes for Summer that include recipes such as How to Make Cherry Tomato Confit, Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta, and more.
Heirloom Tomato Soup FAQS
Yes, allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer to airtight containers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Any fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or even mint or parsley can be alternatives.
More Tomato Recipes
If you do make this Heirloom Tomato Soup recipe, leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, we would love to hear what you think! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram, we love to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest in your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter. We can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Simple Heirloom Tomato Soup with Basil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 5 to 6 heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped in bite-sized cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- handful of basil, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, plus more as needed
- pinch of sugar, optional
- 1/2 loaf sesame bread, cut into 1 inch cubes, toasted with olive oil
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in your onions and sweat out with salt and pepper for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Next, add in your chopped heirloom tomatoes and garlic. Let your tomatoes cook down and burst to get a little saucy, about 5 to 6 minutes. About halfway through, bring down the heat to medium-low to low and let simmer gently for another minute or two.
- Next, add in a handful of basil and stir until the basil becomes vibrant but not wilted, less than a minute. Remove your soup from the heat. Transfer your soup to a high-speed blender and blend with sherry vinegar and your remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and a dash of sugar as needed to taste.
- Serve hot or cold. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, your croutons, fresh basil, and fresh cracked pepper.
Notes
- Additions: While this is a dairy-free soup, you can opt to add heavy cream or butter to this. You can also check out our Tomato and Melon Gazpacho for a cold, vegetable-forward take that includes tomatoes.
- To make this Gluten-Free: Substitute with gluten-free bread, or omit the croutons altogether.
- To Roast: If you want to roast your tomatoes first, you can. This will also help intensify sweetness and add some smoky depth!
- Prepping: You can make this soup ahead of time and store it in the fridge up to 3 days until ready to warm back up to serve, or serve cold.
- Storing: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container and reheat either on the stovetop or serve cold.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
