As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. See privacy policy for more details. Thank you!
This creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Parmesan Crusted Croutons is a creamy and delicious, easy fall dinner. It can be quickly for a weeknight dinner, or it can be made ahead of time and then warmed and put in a thermos for a warm meal at a chilly fall picnic. Check out the simple high protein option to make this one of the most warm and comforting low calorie, high protein soups!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Nostalgia- This is the grown up version of the Campbells tomato soup of our youth!
- High Protein Option- This recipe includes a super easy substitution that will add more than 50 grams of protein!
- Healthy Comfort Food- This is a simple recipe made with fresh, whole foods for an easy weeknight dinner or lunch that is as healthy as it is comforting.
- Perfect for Meal Planning and Prep- Make a batch ahead of time! This protein-packed soup stores beautifully and makes weekday eating effortless.
Ingredients
High Protein Tomato Soup Hack
This soup is the perfect candidate for sneaking in a ton of extra protein! Cottage cheese is the ultimate sneaky high protein ingredient that turns this delicious tomato soup into a delicious high protein soup.
To do this, simply blend two cups of cottage cheese in a food processor or high powered blender for about 30 seconds. Once it is smooth, creamy and lump free, stir it into the soup in place of the heavy cream.
It will add creaminess like the cream, but it will have a fraction of the calories and add approximately 52 grams of protein!
The Inspiration....
My brother Hana recently sent me a picture of his, "blog worthy lunch" which was a bowl of Campbells Tomato Soup and Ritz crackers. A true blast from the past of our youth! This was definitely one of our favorites growing up. I remember crumbling practically a whole sleeve of Ritz crackers into my soup! I am pretty sure he still does. Ha!
So it is Hana who inspired me to do a grown up version of this favorite classic. It is one of those super easy, and super fulfilling meals that is so easy to recreate a healthier version than the canned. It has the same sweet and creamy tomato flavor...but it is just so much better!
Roasting your own tomatoes is super easy and making it yourself allows you to control exactly what is in your soup. It cuts down on the sodium and sugar and is instead enriched by the natural nutrition of the herbs, garlic and tomatoes. Instead of Ritz crackers, this recipe creates buttery parmesan crusted french bread croutons. You get the same salty crunch, but so much more flavor. In this case, it's way more fun to do it the grown up way!
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
This section is going to be really short, because there really isn't much to it! Short and sweet, and so good to eat!
Roast the Tomatoes
Start by halving, or quartering your tomatoes, depending on the the size. The most important thing is that you cut all of the pieces roughly the same size so that they will roast evenly.
Add your tomatoes and fresh garlic cloves to a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle everything with a good glug or 2 of olive oil, and sprinkle it all with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes and garlic in a 425ยฐF oven for about 45 minutes. They will be done when the tomatoes are wrinkled and soft.
Blend
High Protein Option
For the high protein tomato soup option, remove the tomatoes and garlic from the oven and into a high powered blender. Blend the roasted tomatoes, garlic and cottage cheese together on high for 1-2 minutes until it is completely smooth and creamy. You can also use an immersion blender, but you will need one of these tools in order to completely blend the curds of the cottage cheese so that there are no lumps.
Creamy Classic Option
For the classic tomato soup version made with cream, the blender isn't as important. You will still want the tomatoes blended, but you can use a hand masher and it is ok if there are small pieces of tomato.
So for this version, mash or blend together the roasted tomatoes and garlic.
Heating and Finishing the Soup
Next, add the blended mixture to a large stock pot. Add the salt and sugar, chicken stock, bouillon and basil and heat on medium to medium high heat until it comes to a simmer. If you are making the high protein version, you are all done!
For the classic version, once it begins to simmer, remove it from the heat and add the heavy cream. Blend it together and once it is fully incorporated, put it back on the stove over medium heat and let it heat until it is hot.
If you are meal prepping for later, let it cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight storage container.
When you are ready to eat, simply top it with the delicious parmesan croutons and a sprig of basil and enjoy!
How to Make Parmesan Croutons
The Parmesan Crusted Croutons are a bit of a riff on the Grilled Cheese Sandwich that always accompanied our Tomato Soup growing up. Use a nice crusty french baguette. The soft center of the bread will soak up the butter and olive oil and the outside will be nice and crispy from the toasted cheese.
Check out these easy Air Fryer Croutons for an air fryer option. Otherwise, follow the directions in the recipe for buttery parmesan croutons.
Start with your fresh, crusty french bread. Cut this into about 1-2 inch chunks. Drizzle it with a couple tablespoons of good olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat a nice heavy skillet on medium high heat. Once it has gotten warm, add a little bit of olive oil and a couple tablespoons of butter as well as your bread. You may have to make this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.
Toss the bread around so that everything is evenly coated with butter. Then let the croutons sit for a minute or so and then toss again. Add the grated parmesan and continue to toss until the croutons are lightly golden brown and crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside. They are the perfect topping for this delicious soup!
Trust me, you won't miss having the whole sandwich. This deconstructed version is every bit as good. If you have any croutons left over, check out this Greek Panzanella for a delicious way to use them up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Let soup cool completely and then place in a snap lock container or freezer zip lock bag. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You can also use an immersion blender, or food processor.
More Vegetarian Recipes
- Greek Hummus
- Vegetable Couscous with Mint Pesto
- Veggie Wraps with Honey Mustard Sauce
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnut Gremolata
- Thai Fresh Rolls with Peanut Sauce
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Toasted Sesame Aioli
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
I hope you enjoy this Tomato Basil Soup! I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you and Thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*! โฅ๏ธ
๐ Recipe
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Parmesan Crusted Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Tomatoes
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Beef Bouillon Base
- โ cup Sugar
- 1 Quart Chicken Stock
- 10 Basil Leaves Plus more for garnish
- 2 cups Heavy Cream or Half and Half. (See notes for the high protein cottage cheese option.)
Parmesan Crusted Croutons
- 1 French baguette
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Quarter tomatoes and place on lined baking sheet
- Add halved garlic cloves
- Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil and Season with Salt and Pepper
- Roast in 425โ oven for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and place tomatoes, garlic in high powered blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until it is lump free.
- In a large stock pot, bring chicken stock and beef bouillon to a simmer over medium high heat.
- Add blended tomato mixture to stock pot.
- Add Sugar and continue to heat.
- Once Soup starts simmering, remove from heat and add cream.
- Once cream is incorporated, warm soup on burner on medium heat until it is hot.
- Top Soup with Parmesan Crusted Croutons and a sprig of Basil.
- Enjoy!
Parmesan Crusted Croutons
- Cut French Bread into 1"-2" squares
- Drizzle with Olive oil and season with salt and pepper
- Heat skillet over medium high heat.
- Add butter and let it melt
- Add bread to skillet, stir occasionally until lightly browned. You may need to do 2 batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Add grated Parmesan to skillet to coat croutons.
- stir croutons while they cook for 2 minutes or until cheese is crisp and lightly browned.
- Remove from heat.
Notes
Notes
- High protein option- For a high protein soup, blend 2 cups of cottage cheese in with the roasted tomatoes and garlic, until it is smooth and creamy with no lumps. Add this to the soup in place of the heavy cream. This addition will add approximately 50 extra grams of protein!
- Air Fryer Croutons
- Oven croutons- If you would rather make the croutons in the oven, you can drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and then place them in a 400ยฐF oven for about 8 minutes and then flip them and cook for another 8 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Vegetarian option- Feel free to use vegetable stock, and bouillon in place of the chicken and beef stock if you would like. In this case you may want to add a little extra salt, but salt it according to taste!
- Storing- This soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer, in a sealed container, or zip lock bag for up to 4 months. Theย croutons freeze beautifully in a zip lock! Just make sure there is as little air in the bag as possible to avoid freezer burn.
Nutrition
Comments
No Comments
Did you make this recipe? Let me know! ๐