Creamy Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (Printable)
Velvety tomato soup with a swirl of homemade basil pesto. Comforting, elegant, and ready in under an hour.
# What You Need:
→ Soup
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes
05 - 2 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1 teaspoon sugar
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Basil Pesto
10 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
11 - 1/4 cup pine nuts
12 - 1 garlic clove
13 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/4 cup olive oil
15 - Pinch of salt
# Steps:
01 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute while stirring frequently.
03 - Add canned tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Combine basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic clove, Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.
05 - Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth, or carefully transfer in batches to a standard blender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and heat gently for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and swirl 1-2 teaspoons of basil pesto into each serving.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil or a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between the silky warm soup and the herbaceous pesto creates layers of flavor that dance on your tongue.
- Its secretly simple enough for weeknights but has that distinctive restaurant-quality that makes dinner guests think youve been cooking all day.
02 -
- Adding a pinch of baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the tomatoes without affecting flavor, something I discovered after a batch was almost too tangy to enjoy.
- The soup actually tastes better the next day, once the flavors have had time to fully develop and marry overnight in the refrigerator.
03 -
- Freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays, then transfer to a freezer bag for perfectly portioned amounts ready to drop into future soups or pasta dishes.
- If your immersion blender isnt quite getting the soup smooth enough, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve for that restaurant-quality texture.