- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 2 tbsp
- 3 cloves
- 800 g
- 500 ml
- 30 g
- 120 ml
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 1 tsp
Process
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Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Pour in the canned whole tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon. Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to meld flavors.
Stir in the fresh basil leaves and cook for 2 more minutes.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth, then return to the pot.
Stir in heavy cream and season with salt and black pepper. Taste and add sugar if the soup is too acidic.
Simmer gently for 5 more minutes, then serve hot, garnished with extra basil leaves if desired.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is blending hot soup with the lid sealed tight, which traps steam and can blow the lid off; vent the blender lid or use an immersion blender off the heat.
- The soup is done when it coats the back of a spoon and no longer tastes sharp or raw; if it still tastes acidic after the sugar, simmer 5 more minutes rather than adding more sugar.
- For a silky texture, puree for a full 60 seconds and then push the soup through a fine sieve if you want it restaurant-smooth; skipping this leaves tomato skins and seeds gritty.
- Add the cream only after pureeing and keep the heat at low; boiling cream after it goes in can make the soup grainy and split.
Substitutions
- canned whole tomatoes→the same weight of canned crushed tomatoes or 900 g fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
- heavy cream→full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream for a dairy-free version, added off the heat
- vegetable broth→chicken broth or a broth cube dissolved in 500 ml hot water
- fresh basil leaves→1 tbsp dried basil added with the tomatoes, plus a few fresh leaves to garnish if available
Storage & reheating
Cool the soup to room temperature within 2 hours, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For freezing, leave out the cream, freeze in portions for up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat to 75°C, stirring often, and stir in the cream only once the soup is hot but not boiling; if reheating from frozen, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it.
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FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my tomato basil soup turn out bitter or metallic?
This usually comes from scorching the garlic or simmering the soup in an uncoated aluminum pot. Cook the garlic for only 1 minute over medium heat and use a stainless steel or enameled pot. If it already tastes metallic, add 1 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp cream to round it out.
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Yes, use about 900 g of ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, in place of the 800 g canned. Fresh tomatoes vary in acidity, so taste after simmering and add the sugar only if needed. Canned tomatoes actually give a more consistent result year-round.
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Yes, make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. The flavor deepens overnight, so reheat gently and add the cream at the end if you have not already. If you added cream before storing, reheat over low heat and do not let it boil.
How do I know when the soup is fully cooked?
The onions should be completely soft and the soup should have reduced slightly after the 20-minute simmer, with no raw tomato sharpness. After blending, it should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If it tastes flat, simmer 5 more minutes before seasoning again.
Can I freeze tomato basil soup?
Yes, but freeze it before adding the cream, as dairy can separate when thawed. Portion into containers, leave 2 cm of headspace, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir the cream in after reheating.
Why is my soup watery or too thin?
Canned tomatoes and broth release a lot of liquid, and skipping the uncovered simmer leaves it thin. Simmer uncovered for the full 20 minutes so it reduces, and after blending, cook 5 to 10 minutes more if needed. A tablespoon of tomato paste added with the tomatoes also thickens it.
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