Best Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Panera Copycat) Recipe

I perfected The Best Tomato Basil Soup as a Panera copycat, packing in hidden vegetables and offering stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot options to yield a rich, restaurant-quality bisque at home.

I haven’t stopped making this Best Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Panera Copycat) since I nailed it. If you want that Panera Tomato Bisque Soup feeling at home, this one hits the notes, deep, silky, but not fussy, and it even became a Viral Tomato Soup Recipe among my friends after one bowl.

I sneak in garlic early for background depth and stir in fresh basil leaves right before serving so the aromatics sing. It’s the kind of soup that feels restaurant level yet totally doable on a weeknight, and somehow I keep finding excuses to ladle up more.

Ingredients

• Olive oil adds silky richness, mostly monounsaturated fats good for heart when used lightly.
• Onions give sweet savory depth, add fiber and prebiotics, low calories, cooks down sweet.
• Carrots bring natural sweetness and beta carotene, some fiber, good for eyes.
• Bright red pepper adds brightness, vitamin C, a touch of sweetness and color.
• Crushed and diced tomatoes give acidity, umami, lycopene antioxidant and tomatoey richness.
• Fresh basil adds herbal perfume, small vitamin boost, balances acidity with fragrant sweetness.
• Cream makes soup silky, adds calories and saturated fat, mellows acidity, feels decadent.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

How to Make this

1. Chop 1 medium yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 1 red bell pepper and mince 3 cloves garlic; heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add the chopped onion, carrots and bell pepper with a pinch of kosher salt and cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft and starting to brown, stir in the garlic and cook 30 to 45 seconds more.

3. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes until the paste darkens a little — this removes the raw flavor. (Tip: brown bits on the bottom are flavor, scrape them up.)

4. Pour in 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and simmer gently, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes until everything is very soft and flavors meld. Skim foam if needed. (If using an Instant Pot, sauté then pressure cook on high 8 to 10 minutes with natural release. For slow cooker, brown veggies first then cook on low 6 to 8 hours.)

5. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup until silky with an immersion blender right in the pot, or let cool slightly and blend in batches in a regular blender, filling it no more than halfway and venting the lid to avoid pops.

6. Return soup to low heat and stir in 1 cup half and half or heavy cream, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese if using, and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter if you want extra richness; warm gently but do not boil or the cream can break.

7. Add 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped, stir and let them wilt into the hot soup for a minute or two so the basil flavor brightens the whole batch.

8. Taste and adjust seasoning with more kosher salt, black pepper or a pinch more sugar to balance acidity; if you want an ultra smooth restaurant texture push the soup through a fine mesh sieve using a spatula.

9. Serve hot with a drizzle of cream, extra grated Parmesan and torn basil, with crusty bread on the side. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, reheat gently so it doesnt separate.

Equipment Needed

1. Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (6–8 qt) for sautéing and simmering
2. Sharp chef’s knife for chopping onion, carrots, pepper and mincing garlic
3. Cutting board
4. Measuring cups + measuring spoons
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring and scraping up brown bits
6. Can opener for the crushed and diced tomatoes
7. Immersion blender (best) or regular blender to puree in batches
8. Fine-mesh sieve and ladle (optional) if you want an ultra smooth restaurant-style soup, dont skip the sieve

FAQ

Best Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Panera Copycat) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Half and half or heavy cream: 1 cup = 1 cup whole milk plus 2 tablespoons melted butter for similar richness, or 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk for dairy free, or 1 cup cashew cream (blend soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water)
• Low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth: use 2 cups water plus 1 bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon bouillon paste, or 2 cups mushroom broth for extra umami
• Tomato paste: for 2 tablespoons use about 1/4 cup tomato sauce simmered until thick about 10 minutes, or 2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes reduced, or 2 tablespoons ketchup in a pinch though it will be sweeter
• Grated Parmesan cheese: 1/4 cup = 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano for a sharper saltier bite, or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for a vegan swap, or just omit and stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for extra creaminess

Pro Tips

1) Don’t rush the tomato paste, cook it until it darkens a bit and scrape those brown bits off the bottom into the pot, thats where a ton of flavor hides. Just watch it so it scorches instead of burns.

2) If you blend hot soup in a regular blender only fill it half way and vent the lid, cover the top with a kitchen towel and pulse in short bursts so it doesnt pop and spray everywhere. Using an immersion blender is way less drama if you have one.

3) Temper the cream, dont dump cold cream into blazing soup. Warm the half and half or add a ladle of hot soup into the cream first, then stir it back into the pot, and never let the soup boil after the cream goes in or it can split.

4) Finish smart: add most of the basil at the very end so it stays bright, reserve a few raw leaves for garnish, and taste after the cream to adjust salt pepper or a tiny pinch of sugar to tame acidity. For ultra silky soup push it through a fine mesh sieve and stir in a pat of butter or extra Parm for richness.