Description
This creamy tomato basil soup is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for any season. Made with fresh aromatics, crushed tomatoes, and fresh basil, it’s blended to a silky smooth texture and complemented by crispy garlic butter sourdough dippers. Ready in 50 minutes and serving 4, it’s an ideal cozy meal for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Sourdough Dippers
- 1 small sourdough loaf, cut into thick slices
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, halved
Instructions
- Prepare aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat to create a flavorful base.
- Sauté onion: Add the chopped yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent and soft.
- Bloom garlic: Add minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
- Build soup base: Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Develop flavors: Reduce heat and let the soup simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to meld and deepen.
- Finish soup: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the heavy cream and fresh chopped basil to add creaminess and freshness.
- Blend soup: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Prepare sourdough: Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spread softened butter on both sides of each sourdough slice.
- Toast bread: Grill the buttered bread slices for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. While warm, rub the grilled slices lightly with the cut side of the garlic clove for added flavor.
- Cut dippers: Slice the toasted sourdough into strips suitable for dipping into the soup.
- Plate and serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls, garnish with extra basil if desired, and serve alongside the garlic sourdough dippers for a perfect meal.
Notes
- For a vegan version, substitute heavy cream with coconut milk or cashew cream and use vegan butter or olive oil for the bread.
- Use fresh ripe tomatoes when possible for enhanced flavor instead of canned tomatoes.
- Adjust the thickness by adding more or less vegetable broth according to preference.
- The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Sourdough dippers can be substituted with garlic bread or croutons if preferred.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
