Cream of Tomato Soup

Name: Cream of Tomato Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 medium medium yellow onion, diced small; 2 clove garlic cloves, finely minced; 2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped; 2 cup good-quality chicken stock; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp granulated sugar; 0.5 cup heavy cream; 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Velvet Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil

Peak-season tomatoes simmer down into pure comfort in this recipe that proves the best soups start with real ingredients, not cans. The secret is building flavor layer by layer — sweet onions, aromatic garlic, and a touch of cream that turns everything luxuriously smooth.

AmericanLunchDinnerSoupComfort FoodIndulgent

Prep15 min

Cook45 min

Total1 hr

Servings4

Difficultyeasy

Nutrition

fat22g

carbs18g

protein6g

calories280

Ingredients

2 tbspunsalted butter
1 mediummedium yellow onion, diced small
2 clovegarlic cloves, finely minced
2 lbripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
2 cupgood-quality chicken stock
1 tspkosher salt
½ tspfreshly ground black pepper
1 tspgranulated sugar
½ cupheavy cream
2 tbspfresh basil leaves, roughly chopped(optional)

Instructions

Drop the butter into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and set it over medium heat. Let it melt completely — you're building the foundation of flavor here, so don't rush it.
Toss in the diced onion and stir to coat with the melted butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion pieces are completely soft and translucent — about 5 minutes. They should give easily when pressed with your spoon.
⏱ 5 min
Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for about a minute until it becomes fragrant and just starts to color. Don't let it brown or it'll turn bitter.
⏱ 1 min
Pour in the chopped tomatoes along with the chicken stock, salt, pepper, and sugar. The sugar balances the natural acidity of the tomatoes — trust the process here.
Bring everything to a rolling boil, then dial the heat back to maintain a gentle simmer. Let it bubble away for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. The tomatoes will break down and the flavors will concentrate beautifully.
⏱ 30 min
Pull the pot off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's completely smooth. Work in sections if needed — you want zero lumps left behind.
Return the pot to low heat and slowly pour in the cream while stirring. Warm it through for about 2 minutes, but don't let it boil or the cream might curdle. You just want it heated evenly.
⏱ 2 min
Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and scatter fresh basil on top if you're using it — the bright herb cuts through all that richness perfectly.