Creamy Tomato Soup Basil (Print View)
A velvety soup featuring ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of cream for comfort and taste.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes or 35 ounces fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
→ Liquids
05 - 2 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Herbs & Seasoning
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
→ For Serving
12 - Extra basil leaves
13 - Drizzle of additional cream (optional)
14 - Freshly ground black pepper
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in tomatoes with their juice if canned, vegetable broth, sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring mixture to a simmer.
04 - Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add basil leaves and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth or blend carefully in batches using a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra basil, a drizzle of cream, and freshly ground black pepper as desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It comes together in under 40 minutes, so you can serve something restaurant-quality on a weeknight without stress.
- The cream and basil transform canned tomatoes into something so silky you'd never guess it started in a tin.
- It's endlessly flexible—vegan swaps work beautifully, and fresh tomatoes elevate it to something even more special.
- One pot, one blender, minimal cleanup, maximum satisfaction.
02 -
- Adding the basil before blending instead of after keeps it bright and prevents it from turning dark brown and tasting like hay.
- If your soup tastes flat or one-note, it's usually just missing salt or a touch more sugar—taste constantly and adjust in small amounts.
- Canned tomatoes vary wildly in acidity; if yours tastes sharp, a pinch more sugar and a tiny pinch more salt will smooth it out.
03 -
- Taste the soup right before adding cream and adjust salt and pepper then—once cream goes in, flavors shift and become harder to correct.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, a potato ricer or even carefully mashing with the back of a wooden spoon creates a chunky texture that's equally lovely and honestly more rustic.