Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Serves 4 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 25 minutes · Total: about 35 minutes
There’s nothing quite like tomato basil soup. I first tasted it at Souplantation, which was a childhood favorite for school fundraisers and after-movie dinners. You never knew who you’d run into there! The best part was their steaming-hot focaccia. It paired especially well with the creamy, sweet, and savory tomato soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Black pepper
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil, plus a few leaves for serving
Instructions
- 1
Cook the onion
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until soft.
- 2
Add the garlic and tomato paste
Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for another minute.
- 3
Simmer the soup
Pour in the tomatoes and broth. Add the oregano, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook partially covered for about 20 minutes.
- 4
Blend the soup
Add most of the basil and blend until smooth. An immersion blender is easiest, though a regular blender works too.
- 5
Finish with cream
Return the soup to low heat. Stir in the cream and butter and warm it through without bringing it back to a hard boil. Taste and add a little more salt if needed.
- 6
Serve
Serve with thinly sliced basil on top.
Recipe notes
Swaps & substitutions
- Shortcut version: use a 24-ounce jar of marinara in place of the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and oregano. Add 1½ cups broth, simmer for 10 minutes, blend, then finish with the cream, butter, and basil.
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