Classic Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup
Smooth, creamy and full of rich tomato flavour, this classic tomato soup gets a little extra depth from garlic, tomato paste and fresh basil. A small amount of baking soda helps mellow the acidity of the canned tomatoes without having to add a lot of sugar. Serve it with a golden grilled cheese for the ultimate cozy lunch or dinner.
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
35 minutes
Serves
Ingredients
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- 2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbspbutter
- 1 mediumyellow onion, diced
- 3 largegarlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 2 (28 oz / 796 mL)cans diced tomatoes, preferably unsalted or low-sodium
- 1 cuplow-sodium chicken stock
- 1bay leaf
- 1 tspbrown sugar
- ½ tspbaking soda
- ½ tspsalt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cupheavy or whipping cream
- ¼ cuploosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
Ingredients
- 2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbspbutter
- 1 mediumyellow onion, diced
- 3 largegarlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 2 (28 oz / 796 mL)cans diced tomatoes, preferably unsalted or low-sodium
- 1 cuplow-sodium chicken stock
- 1bay leaf
- 1 tspbrown sugar
- ½ tspbaking soda
- ½ tspsalt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cupheavy or whipping cream
- ¼ cuploosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
Instructions
Sauté the Onion
- 1
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to turn lightly golden.
Add the Garlic and Tomato Paste
- 1
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- 2
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly. This helps deepen the tomato flavour.
Simmer the Soup
- 1
Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken stock, bay leaf, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 2
Stir well. The baking soda may cause the tomatoes to foam slightly at first — this is completely normal.
- 3
Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are very tender and the flavours have concentrated.
Add the Basil and Blend
- 1
Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- 2
Add the fresh basil, then use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup to a countertop blender and blend in batches.
Finish with Cream
- 1
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the whipping cream.
- 2
Warm gently for another 2–3 minutes without bringing the soup to a hard boil.
- 3
Taste and adjust with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
Serve
- 1
Ladle into bowls and finish with a small drizzle of cream, freshly cracked black pepper and thinly sliced fresh basil.
- 2
Serve hot — preferably with a really good grilled cheese on the side.
Melissa's Notes
Don’t skip the baking soda. One thing I’ve learned from making tomato soup is that just ½ teaspoon of baking soda helps neutralize some of the acidity and that slightly metallic flavour canned tomatoes can sometimes have. It mellows the tomatoes without needing to add a lot of sugar.
And use whipping cream if you can. Half-and-half will work, but whipping cream gives this soup a noticeably richer, silkier finish.
Make It Vegetarian: Simply replace the chicken stock with a good-quality vegetable stock.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe)
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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