Description
Creamy tomato-basil soup that’s silky, balanced, and weeknight-fast. Made in one pot with canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, a touch of cream (or coconut milk), and fresh basil. Ready in ~30 minutes; reheats beautifully.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
2 cans (28 oz total) crushed or whole peeled tomatoes with juices (preferably San Marzano)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (plus more to thin)
½–¾ tsp sugar or maple syrup, to taste
½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup heavy cream or ¾ cup light coconut milk (DF)
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, divided (reserve some for garnish)
Instructions
1) Sauté aromatics (5–6 min): Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium. Add onion + pinch of salt; cook until translucent and sweet. Stir in garlic for 30–60 sec.
2) Tomato base (1–2 min): Stir in tomato paste and oregano; cook until the paste darkens slightly.
3) Simmer (12–15 min): Add tomatoes with juices, broth, sugar, ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Bring to a brisk simmer, then reduce heat.
4) Blend (1–2 min): Off heat, use an immersion blender until perfectly smooth.
5) Finish creamy (2–3 min): Return to low heat; stir in cream (or coconut milk) and half the basil. Do not boil after adding dairy.
6) Season to taste (1–2 min): Adjust salt, a pinch more sugar, and broth to thin if needed. Garnish with remaining basil; rest 2 min before serving.
Notes
What it does: Oil blooms aromatics; onion adds sweetness/body; garlic = savory backbone; tomato paste = umami; oregano = warm note; broth = sipping texture; sugar = balances acidity; cream/coconut = silkiness; basil = fresh finish.
Substitutions: Add a chopped carrot/celery for sweetness; white beans or tiny turkey meatballs for protein; spinach at the end; swap cream for half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk.
Diet swaps: DF/vegan—use coconut milk and finish with olive oil. GF—ensure broth/add-ins are certified GF.
Make-ahead: Cook through the simmer, cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days. Blend/finish with dairy and basil just before serving. Leftovers keep 3–4 days; freeze up to 3 months without dairy.
Equipment: 4–6 qt pot or Dutch oven; immersion blender is safest/quickest. For ultra-smooth, strain through fine-mesh.
Toppings: Garlic croutons, basil chiffonade, chili oil, lemon zest. Pair with grilled cheese, focaccia, or a simple green salad.
Scaling: Double in a larger pot; simmer a few extra minutes to reduce. To halve, follow same technique and season at the end.
Troubleshooting: Too salty—broth/water + a little cream; finish with lemon. Too tart—more cream/coconut or a pinch of sugar. Too thin—simmer to reduce or blend in a piece of stale bread. Flat—fresh basil, lemon zest, good olive oil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: soup recipes
- Method: One-pot (stovetop, immersion blend)
- Cuisine: American-Italian