This velvety smooth tomato soup recipe has a beautiful 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 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings, approximately 1 cup per serving
Large non-reactive soup potsuch as stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Avoid reactive metals such as non-enameled cast iron, copper, or aluminum which will make the soup taste metallic.
2 28oz(793g)cans whole peeled tomatoesI like to use Cento or other brands of San Marzano when I can find them
2cups(473ml)chicken broth
¼cupfinely sliced basil
2Tablespoonsgranulated sugar
¼teaspoontable salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
⅓cup(80ml)heavy cream
¼teaspoonbaking soda
Shredded or grated parmesan cheesefor topping
Instructions
Place butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook until melted.
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Add diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened (about 5-8 minutes).
3 cups sweet or yellow onion
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
Sprinkle flour into the pot and use a spatula to stir until no lumps remain. Continue to cook another 30-60 seconds, while stirring.
1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing and smashing them with your spatula and scraping the bottom of the pot as you add them until no large pieces remain.
2 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes
Stir in chicken broth, basil, sugar, salt and black pepper and stir well.
2 cups chicken broth, ¼ cup finely sliced basil, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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.
⅓ cup heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
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!
Shredded or grated parmesan cheese
Video
Notes
Tomatoes
This recipe was specifically written for canned whole tomatoes, as fresh tomatoes simply do not guarantee the same flavor and results (you can see my post for more information on this).Crushed tomatoes may be substituted in a pinch but are not my preference.
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
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.