Description
A rich, velvety tomato basil soup made with garden cherry tomatoes and heavy cream. This comforting dish is ready in about 35 minutes and offers restaurant-quality flavor with simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds (900g) garden cherry tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz / 411g) whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240ml) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup packed fresh basil, torn
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 medium carrot, diced
- Optional: ¼ cup dry white wine
- Optional: Croutons or crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the cherry tomatoes. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and tear the basil leaves.
- Heat butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown the garlic.
- Add cherry tomatoes and canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing cherry tomatoes to burst and release juices. Add carrots now if using.
- Pour in broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until tomatoes break down completely.
- Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a countertop blender, venting the lid to release steam.
- Stir in heavy cream and half of the fresh basil. Simmer on low heat for 2 minutes. Do not boil after adding cream to prevent curdling. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Top with remaining fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and serve with crusty bread or croutons.
Notes
For extra flavor, roast cherry tomatoes at 400°F for 20 minutes before adding to the pot. If using a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly and vent the lid to avoid steam burns. The soup tastes better the next day as flavors meld. It freezes well for up to 3 months. If the soup separates after freezing, whisk vigorously while reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
Keywords: tomato soup, basil soup, creamy tomato soup, cherry tomatoes, comfort food, easy dinner, vegetarian soup, gluten-free soup