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Nothing is better than that first spoonful of a homemade rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. It’s the kind of soup that takes you back to those cool crisp fall days. The smooth texture of the roasted tomatoes and the distinct savory sweetness from the basil all cozied up in the rich creamy Creme Fraiche to create that perfect soup you’ve been craving. Pair it with some crispy grilled cheese on the side, and you have that perfect dish to get all those Fall feels.
Here’s what you’re going to need for this Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.
• 28oz Can Crushed or Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes (2) • Yellow Onion • Butter • Garlic • Tomato Paste • Fresh Basil • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes • Grated Romano Cheese • Creme Fraiche
Substitutions: Can’t find any Creme Fraiche (French style cream)? Don’t worry, you can substitute sour cream in place of the French creme. Same goes with the Romano which can easily be subbed out with grated Parmesan cheese.
In a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add in 6 tbsp of butter and allow the butter to melt. Once it begins to bubble toss in the onions. Saute for about 6 minutes until they are golden brown.
Add in 5-6 crushed whole cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, about 1/4 tsp each of salt + pepper, and 1 tbsp tomato paste. I just use the flat part of a knife and crush the clove of garlic to release the flavor before add it whole to a dish.
Scrape the paste along the bottom of the pan for about 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula until fragrant and has turned to a deep brick red color while allowing it to release its tomato magic.
Salty Tip: When you cook with tomato paste, you want to add it before any liquid ingredients. You want it to release its flavors as you cook it so the flavors can meld with the other ingredients in your dish. It will turn from that bright red to a deep brick red color.
Next, stir in (2) 28oz cans of either diced or crushed (even whole if you have them) of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes along with the juices in the can. Stir in 2 tbsp of grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese if you prefer, 3 large fresh basil leaves, and bring to a boil.
Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25-30 minutes to break down the tomatoes and allow the mixture to thicken.
Salty Tip: If the tomato mix is too acidic for your liking, you can neutralize it some with 1/2 tsp baking soda which helps to raise the pH level of the tomatoes. Just wait until after you add the baking soda to salt the soup as it will add some saltiness to the mix and you don’t want to over-salt it.
Once it’s simmered and has thickened some, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender puree the soup. Depending on what you use to blend the tomato soup mixture along with how large of a quantity you can blend at a time will vary on how long this process will take.
I love using my Vitamix blender for their large sized pitcher as well as the soup setting that perfectly purees soup in about 4 minutes. I know they are pricey (it took me years and multiple other blender brands that just couldn’t do the job as good as we wanted to convince my husband to upgrade to a Vitamix blender), but if you can get one DO IT! You won’t regret it I promise!
Once your soup is well blended and smooth, transfer it to a large serving bowl and drizzle 1/2 cup of creme fraiche (or sour cream if you prefer) over the top, and swirl it around to mix it in with the soup.
If you don’t want to dirty up a large dish and want to transfer it directly from the blender to the bowls that is fine. I get it, nobody wants to do extra dishes if they really don’t need to. You can just add 2 tbsp of the creme fraiche or sour cream to each bowl.
I like to top each bowl off with a little extra basil to garnish cause it just completes the look and smells so good as you eat the soup.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight food container and reheat in the microwave until warm throughout or heat on stove over low heat until warm throughout.
Equipment
- Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
- Blender or Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 5 or 6 whole cloves of garlic crushed
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ tsp salt + pepper each, reduce if using baking soda to reduce acidity of tomatoes (see notes)
- 2 28oz cans Fire Roasted Diced or Crushed Tomatoes along with the juices
- 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano Grated; Can sub with grated Parmesan
- 3 Large Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sub with sour cream
Instructions
- In a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add in the butter and allow the butter to melt. Once it begins to bubble toss in the onions. Saute for about 6 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Add in the crushed whole cloves of garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp each of salt + pepper, and tomato paste. Scrape the paste along the bottom of the pan for about 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula until fragrant and tomato paste has turned to a deep brick red color.
- Next, stir both cans of either diced or crushed (even whole if you have them) of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes along with the juices in the can. Stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese if you prefer, fresh basil leaves, and bring to a boil.
- Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer, occasionally stirring, for about 25-30 minutes to break down the tomatoes and allow the mixture to thicken.
- Once it's simmered and has thickened some, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender puree the soup. Depending on what you use to blend the tomato soup mixture along with how large of a quantity you can blend at a time will vary on how long this process will take.
- Once your soup is well blended and smooth, transfer it to a large serving bowl and drizzle 1/2 cup of creme fraiche (or sour cream if you prefer) over the top, and swirl it around to mix it in with the soup. Serve warm with some crispy bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Notes
- When you cook with tomato paste, you want to add it before any liquid ingredients. You want it to release its flavors as you cook it so the flavors can meld with the other ingredients in your dish. It will turn from that bright red to a deep brick red color.
- If the tomato mix is too acidic for your liking, you can neutralize it some with 1/2 tsp baking soda which helps to raise the pH level of the tomatoes. Just wait until after you add the baking soda to salt the soup as it will add some saltiness to the mix and you don't want to over-salt it.
