Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
In short: A smooth, velvety tomato soup made with canned tomatoes, onion and fresh basil, finished with cream. Ready in 40 minutes. It takes about 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 265 kcal
Creamy tomato soup is the comfort food many people grew up on, usually with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. Good canned tomatoes make the difference: they are picked ripe and give a deeper, sweeter flavor than most fresh tomatoes outside summer. Onion, carrot and tomato paste are cooked slowly first, basil is blended in at the end, and a little cream rounds off the acidity. It is ready in 40 minutes.
Instructions
- Melt the butter with the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft but not browned.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to a brick red.
- Add the tomatoes with their juice, crushing them with a spoon, then the stock, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 20 minutes.
- Add the basil and blend until completely smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender with the lid vented.
- Return the soup to low heat if needed and stir in the cream. Warm it through without boiling, then taste and adjust with a pinch of salt, pepper or sugar.
- Ladle into bowls and top with a few torn basil leaves and black pepper.
Tips
- If your tomatoes are very acidic, stir in a small pinch of baking soda at the end to soften the sharpness. Add it slowly, because it foams.
- For a dairy-free soup, use olive oil instead of butter and replace the cream with 120 ml (1/2 cup) of coconut milk or cashew cream.
Questions and answers
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Yes. Use about 1 kg (2.2 lb) very ripe tomatoes, halved and roasted at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes first. Outside summer, good canned tomatoes usually taste better than fresh.
What do you serve with creamy tomato soup?
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the classic partner. Garlic bread, croutons or a spoonful of pesto stirred in at the table also work well.
How do I keep cream from curdling in tomato soup?
Blend the soup first, lower the heat and stir the cream in gradually. Do not let the soup boil afterward, and use cream at room temperature if you can.
How long does it take to make Creamy Tomato Basil Soup?
About 40 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Creamy Tomato Basil Soup?
About 265 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 18 g of carbohydrates and 20 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 265 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 880 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
