Tomato and Basil Soup (Printable)

Silky tomato soup with fresh basil and olive oil, ready in 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3.3 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

04 - 3 cups vegetable stock
05 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

→ Herbs & Seasoning

06 - 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Garnish

10 - Extra basil leaves for finishing
11 - Additional olive oil for drizzling

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
02 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to prevent browning.
03 - Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
04 - Add the vegetable stock, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
05 - Add the basil leaves, reserving a few for garnish. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a standard blender until smooth and silky.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or sugar as needed.
07 - Serve the soup hot, garnished with reserved basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The silky texture feels luxurious against your tongue, yet its a simple soup anyone can master on the first try.
  • Its incredibly versatile – elegant enough for dinner parties but comforting enough for a rainy afternoon with a book.
02 -
  • I once skipped the sugar thinking it wasn't necessary, but that tiny teaspoon makes all the difference in balancing the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Allowing the soup to sit for 10 minutes after blending lets the flavors marry and deepen in a way that rushing to serve doesn't allow.
03 -
  • After countless batches, I've found that letting the soup cool slightly before blending results in a silkier texture than blending while piping hot.
  • The splash of olive oil added at serving isn't just for looks – it carries flavor compounds that would otherwise be lost in the cooking process.
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