My velvety smooth tomato soup recipe has an intense tomato flavor that's enhanced with a common pantry staple. This soup spends just 30 minutes on the stove, making it ideal for weeknight dinners or snow day lunches. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15minutes
Cook Time 30minutes
Total Time 45minutes
Servings 8servings, approximately 1 cup per serving
2 28ozcans whole peeled tomatoesI like to use Cento or other brands of San Marzano when I can find them (two 793g cans)
2cupschicken broth(473ml)
¼cupfinely sliced basil
2Tablespoonsgranulated sugar
¼teaspoontable salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
⅓cupheavy cream(80ml)
¼teaspoonbaking soda
Shredded or grated parmesan cheesefor topping
Instructions
Place butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook until melted.
Add diced onion and cook until translucent.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Sprinkle flour into the pot and use a spatula to stir until no lumps remain. Continue to cook another 30-60 seconds.
Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing and smashing them with your spatulas and scraping the bottom of the pot as you add them until no large pieces remain.
Stir in chicken broth, basil, sugar, salt and black pepper and stir well.
Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
After simmering, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth (alternatively, puree the soup in batches using a traditional blender and then return to the pot).
Stir in cream and baking soda, stirring until smooth, cohesive in color, and not foamy. Taste-test and add salt and pepper as needed.
Portion into bowls and serve topped with grated parmesan cheese. This soup is excellent for dipping grilled cheese or just served with a side salad and some crusty artisan bread!
Video
Notes
Tomatoes
This recipe was specifically written for canned whole tomatoes, as home-grown or fresh tomatoes simply (and perhaps counter-intuitively) do not guarantee the same flavor and results (you can see my post for more information on this).
Heavy cream
Heavy cream, whipping cream, double cream, or heavy whipping cream will work well in this recipe. I don’t recommend using whole milk or anything with less fat as it could cause the soup to curdle. While I have not tried this recipe with full-fat coconut milk, I suspect it could work as a non-dairy alternative.
Baking soda
I found that the tomato flavor was too acidic even with the granulated sugar and cream to help balance the flavor. A tiny pinch of baking soda works wonders to mellow the taste without diminishing the distinct tomato flavor.
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This recipe also freezes well and will keep frozen for several months.