Creamy Tomato Soup
This delectable soup is slightly tangy, definitely creamy, and each spoonful delivers nutty parmesan cheese and flecks of fresh basil. I’m reasonably confident this will be the best tomato soup you will ever eat.
This is one of my all-time favorite soups. It’s creamy-smooth and delivers the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. Here are a few tips for perfection every time.
Use a non-reactive pan. Reactive pans like aluminum, cast iron, and copper chemically react with the acidity of the tomatoes and can produce a metallic taste. Choose a non-reactive pan, such as stainless steel, ceramic, glass, or any enamel-coated cookware.
Offset the acidity of the tomatoes with dairy. Tomatoes are acidic, so it’s important to balance that acidity with other ingredients. In this soup, we neutralize the acidity by adding heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and a little sugar. We use 1 tablespoon of sugar in the recipe, but taste your soup before serving and, if desired, adjust the acidity with a little more sugar.
Use fresh basil if possible. While it’s more common to use dried herbs when cooking and fresh herbs when serving, fresh basil adds a unique floral quality to this vibrant soup. And since this soup only simmers for about 20 minutes, the basil flavor isn’t muted. That said, if desired, you may substitute dried basil; when substituting dried basil, add 1 tablespoon to the pot when you add the celery seed. Do not use dried basil as a garnish.
I suggest using yellow onion. I prefer yellow onion in this soup because it adds a subtle sweetness; a sugary quality that offsets the acidity of the tomatoes and saltiness of the parmesan cheese.
Use a blender or immersion blender to puree your soup. I prefer creamy tomato soup, so I used a regular blender and pureed my soup until smooth. If you like a chunkier soup, puree until you reach your desired consistency. When using a regular blender, work in batches and don’t overfill. Why? Hot liquids release steam, which increases pressure inside the blender. Too much pressure and the lid can burst off, spewing hot soup everywhere. To prevent burns (and a big mess), fill the blender no more than halfway, and cover the lid with a dish towel before blending.
Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup chicken broth, or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more if needed for serving
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter a nonreactive saucepan, stock pot, or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook for 5 to 7, minutes, until very soft (we’re not going for deep color here). Add the garlic and celery seed and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes with the juice from the can. Add the chicken broth, basil, and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the soup until you reach the desired consistency. When using a blender, work in batches and do not fill the blender more than halfway. Return the puree to the pan over low heat.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer until the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. If necessary, adjust the acidity with more sugar.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh basil and more parmesan cheese.