Little Seeds Homemaking

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This easy homemade tomato basil soup is a delicious upgrade to a classic comfort food.

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This recipe is a grown up twist on a lunch time classic that everyone in the house will love!

This soup makes me happy for a few reasons. First, it tastes so fresh because of the fresh ingredients. Secondly, soup is always a comfort food. It feels extra nostalgic because it reminds me of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup lunches as a child. Lastly, it is so simple and easy to put together. I managed to throw this together with all my leftover bits and pieces from my summer garden.

Fresh Ingredients

Tomatoes

As you can see from the photo above; I will use any and all kinds of tomatoes for this recipe. You can use canned, diced tomatoes if you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes. The taste is just extraordinary when you use fresh tomatoes.

Onion

I use a very small onion for my soup and the taste is wonderful. But, there is nothing stopping you from using a large onion. Just be sure to sauté them until they are slightly translucent for the best flavor.

Garlic

I used 2 cloves in this recipe; however, if you like garlic, you can add as much as you want. This is a recipe that you can play around with. Try it and tweak it as needed to suit your own taste.

Basil

As I was developing this recipe; I found that I would add more and more sweet basil each time I made it. So, go ahead and add as much as your taste buds can handle. My suggestion is between 14-20 leaves so that you have a good balance of tangy tomatoes and sweet basil.

Vegetable Broth

This is a vegetarian soup so I use vegetable broth. But, you can use any broth you have on hand. The taste will change slightly with beef or chicken broth but the overall soup will still be very fresh.

Butter

I suggest melting the butter first in the microwave because it saves you a bit of time. But, if you forgot to do this you don’t have to worry. You can just put it in the hot mixture and it will melt eventually with some stirring.

Heavy cream

18% is the best for this recipe. You will get a very creamy tomato basil soup with heavy table cream. I have put half and half in this in the past and the result is still very nice.

Grated Parmesan

This is optional and is to be placed on top of the soup when you serve it. Parmesan adds a nice salty, cheesy addition to the flavor. It is also a nice way to add a little extra protein to the meal.

How to Get a Smooth Tomato Soup

Blend, blend and then blend some more. For really great results you need to use a strong blender or food processor. In a perfect world, I would use a Vitamix or something equivalent. But I do not have one of those at the moment so I use a standard Ninja Blender. If you have a higher-end blender or food processor, you can often use them with hot items. You just put soups right into them even when they are very hot. My blender cannot tolerate heat so that is why I recommend waiting for the soup to cool slightly before blending it.

Blend for as long as it takes to get your soup to your desired texture.

Check out Amazon to purchase the Ninja NJ601AMZ Professional Blender with 1000-Watt Motor.

Another way to get a very smooth soup is to remove the skins from the tomatoes before cooking them. Usually if you blanch* them first, you can remove the skins quite easily. This will make the soup slightly sweeter as well because the skins can add a bitter taste with some varieties of tomatoes. I prioritize making easy and fast meals. So, I personally do not peel the skins before making this soup.

*Blanching is the process by which foods (usually fruits and vegetables) are briefly submerged in boiling water and then immediately cooled. – The Food Network

Lastly, if texture is really a big deal for you, you can strain the soup at the end. This would take out any seeds or skins that did not get completely blended. This is not necessary though if you are okay with slight texture.

What is the best way to cook tomato basil soup in?

• A 6 qt enamel coated cast iron dutch oven is my favorite method. I use Lagostina or Kitchenaid but any brand will do the trick. Do not use a full cast iron dutch oven for this recipe unless it has been seasoned extremely well. This is because tomatoes are very acidic and can ruin your dutch oven.
• A large stock pot.
• An electronic pressure cooker. For this I would sauté first. Then use the high pressure setting for about 20 minutes and vent right away. Allow to cook and then blend.

Storage and Preservation

• You can keep this soup in an air tight container for 5 days in the fridge.
• You can freeze it for 4 months.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to try this recipe. Please leave a comment and let me know how your soup turned out. I would also love to know if you came up with any tips and tricks to make it even better!