Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

It seems that spring came a bit earlier than I
expected, what about you? I love making soups and for me, something light and
easy like Tomato Basil Soup is the ideal choice for dinner anytime, as long as
the outside temperatures don’t reach the 100-degree mark!

The best way to eat this satisfying soup with a chunk of fresh bread and butter,
with a side salad or of course the quintessential favorite, grilled cheese.
Humm that gives me an idea for a future post-3 Cheese Grilled Cheese, now,
that’s a family favorite for sure!

I categorize Tomato Basil Soup as a Go-To recipe at my house. That means
that at any given time, I have these ingredients on hand. On the nights that
nothing is planned for dinner, I can go to the crisper and pantry and be well
on my way to a delicious, nutritious dinner. And it beats frozen packaged food by
a mile!

What is your favorite Go-To recipe at your house? I am sure readers would want
to be inspired by your ideas and did you know, that making comments on the blog
has gotten super easy, give it a try and start a conversation, it’s fun!

To get started, melt butter in a soup pan, and cook onions, carrots, celery, and fresh tomatoes until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Next, add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and seasonings and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once the flavors have melded together, use an immersion blender to blend until the soup is smooth.

Add fresh basil, then the cream and warm well. Last, we will finish the soup like the French, with a tad more butter right at the end to give the soup that glossy look! Bon Appétit!

Wish I had a bowl of this fiery red tomato soup right now!!

Tomato Basil Soup

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots peeled and chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup chopped tomatoes, preferably cherry

1 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes

1 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh basil cut in a chiffonade

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

½ cup heavy cream

In a large soup pot melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and cook the onions, carrots, celery, and fresh tomatoes for about 10 minutes, until they are soft.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add canned tomatoes, seasoning, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Add fresh basil, and heat through.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender, taste it and if the soup is too acidic, add 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Add cream and warm through; add the last tablespoon of butter and stir well before serving.

Pro tip- You can use 2 teaspoons of dried basil instead of fresh.  Add the basil when you are cooking the onions, celery, and carrots. to allow it to bloom.

You may have heard, it is an exciting week at ATOP!!

The launch party for my new website and A New Chapter at A Taste of Paris(TM) is tomorrow, Thursday, March 14th!

For a very short period of time, all 3 of my upcoming trips to France will be LIVE for registration!!

Are you dreaming of travel to France? If so get on the waitlist so you will always see travel details first!!

If you’d like to celebrate with me, hit reply, and I’ll add you to the RSVP list! To check out the new website, just click the logo at the top of this page!

See you soon!

XO
Lorie