Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Recipe review status
- Editorially checked
- Kitchen testing status
- Not documented
Recipe instructions were editorially reviewed for ingredient and method consistency. Hands-on kitchen testing is not documented for this version.
Featured image: custom digital food illustration.
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I used to think good tomato soup meant a can and a shrug. Then I made this once, on a grey Tuesday, and never went back. It's the kind of soup that turns a rough day around — creamy, a little sweet, deeply tomatoey, and done in half an hour.
The one thing people skip that they shouldn't: cooking the tomato paste for a minute before adding the liquid. That quick caramelization is where all the deep, roasty flavor comes from. Rush past it and the soup tastes flat.
Serve it with a grilled cheese cut into soldiers for dunking. I don't make the rules — okay, I do, and that's the rule.
The method behind the meal
Why this recipe works
- •A splash of cream at the end keeps it silky, but coconut milk works beautifully to keep it dairy free.
- •Blend fully with an immersion blender for that smooth, restaurant texture.
- •Fresh basil at the end, not the start — it keeps its brightness.
Recipe
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
The velvety, restaurant-style tomato soup you'll make on repeat — one pot, pantry ingredients, pure comfort.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- 2Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook another minute until it darkens slightly.
- 3Pour in the tomatoes (crush them a little with your spoon), broth and sugar. Simmer 20 minutes.
- 4Blend smooth with an immersion blender. Stir in the cream and most of the basil.
- 5Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining basil.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
