Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
Tomato Basil Soup is one of my favorite late-summer comfort food dishes. August, with its sweltering days and evenings, seems too hot for soup. However, with tomato plants hanging heavy with fruit, you need an alternative to Caprese salads every evening. Buy your tomatoes and basil at your favorite Farmers Market!
By Chef Laura Bonicelli
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr 5 min
Servings
10 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cupschopped red onion
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 2 clovesgarlic (minced)
- 4 poundsripe tomatoes (peeled, stemmed, and chopped)
- 1 1/2 teaspoonssugar
- 1 tablespoondouble-concentrated tomato paste
- 1/3 cupchopped basil leaves
- 3 cupschicken stock -- preferably homemade
- 1 tablespoonKosher salt
- 2 teaspoonsfreshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cupheavy whipping cream
- =====
- pesto and croutons
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving (serves 10 servings)
* Nutritional information is estimated and may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute' until soft and transparent, about . Do not brown. Stir in garlic and cook for .
- 2
Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer, uncovered, for .
- 3
Add cream to the soup.
- 4
Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve with a dollop of pesto and croutons.
Chef's Notes
Peeling the tomatoes is simple. Drop the tomatoes in boiling water. Let the skins split; this takes about 30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes to a bowl of cold water and pull off the peels.