Tomato Basil Soup

Fall is here!  For the last couple of nights, the temperature has dipped down into the 20's.  Definitely soup weather!

I love tomato soup.  There's nothing better on a cold day than a grilled cheese with some good tomato soup.  Luckily, that is one of Jake's favorite meals too, so we have it a lot.  Now Jake is very easy to please.  I could open up a can of Campbell's condensed tomato, and he would be thrilled.  I, however, am a bit pickier about my soup. :)

I've tried several different tomato soup recipes and combined the best of each to come up with my own Tomato Basil Soup.  It is creamy, basil-y tomato goodness.  And it's really very simple to make!

Here's what you need:


Crushed tomatoes, olive oil, fresh garlic, chicken broth, basil (more on this later!), sugar, heavy cream, salt, and pepper

This is enough for a double batch of soup. It freezes really well, so I like to make a lot and freeze it in little containers to take out for a quick lunch or dinner.

 

First, heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Then add your garlic.

 

 

I absolutely love my Pampered Chef garlic press!  It's probably one of my favorite things I've ordered from them.  You just throw a whole clove in (peeling and all!), squeeze, and it out comes perfectly minced garlic.

 

Saute the garlic until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. 

 

 

Mmm...there's nothing like the smell of sauteing garlic.

 

When the garlic is nice and golden, add the crushed tomatoes. 

 

 

I've tried recipes that use tomato puree or a combination of crushed and whole or diced tomatoes, but I really like using all crushed.  It makes the soup nice and thick but not too chunky.

 

Next, add your salt, pepper, sugar, and broth.

 

 

You could also use vegetable broth, but I think chicken broth gives it a good flavor.

 

Let the soup simmer for 10-20 minutes.  I cover it to avoid tomato splatters all over the stove.

 

 

Now for my basil dilemma...

 

I really like to use fresh basil for this soup.  Until a few weeks ago, I would have gone out to my little herb garden and picked some basil.  But alas, the frost has come and all of my herbs have withered and died.  So I had to get my basil from the grocery store.  Unfortunately, the basil at the store was not looking too good.  And it was expensive...over $3 for a pitiful little sprig that barely looked better than my withered plants! 

 

Then I saw this:

 

 

I've seen these fresh herb pastes in the past and been curious but skeptical.  I stood in the store for a minute trying to decide whether to get this or to stop by another store to look for fresh basil.  But my to-to list was long and my time was running short, so I decided to give the paste a try.

 

Verdict?

 

It was pretty good!  Not as good as fresh, but a TON better than dried.  And I had quite a bit leftover that I can use for something else.  Definitely a good alternative when fresh basil is not available!

 

So after the soup has simmered, turn the burner off and add your basil and heavy cream.

 





The heavy cream is a big part of what makes this soup so delicious.  I have tried substituting milk, but it just doesn't work.  Half and half is okay, but still not the same.  For this recipe, the real stuff is the way to go.

 

And that's it!  

 



 

I like to top it with some fresh Parmesan and croutons. 

 

 

Yum!  Now all you need is a grilled cheese! :)

 

Tomato Basil Soup

1 Tbs olive oil

3 cloves fresh minced garlic

3 cans crushed tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbs fresh basil or basil paste

 

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic, and saute 1-2 minutes until golden brown. 

 

Add crushed tomatoes. Stir in broth, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Cover and simmer 10-20 minutes. 

 

Remove from heat, and stir in heavy cream and basil. 

 

Enjoy!

 

~Rachel