Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
The bright crimson color and fresh basil aroma signal pure summer in a bowl. Sweet, sun-ripened tomatoes meld with aromatic garlic and onions, creating a velvety soup that tastes like August itself. I love serving this with crusty bread when the garden is overflowing.
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.