Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (Printable Version)

A velvety tomato soup finished with a vibrant basil pesto swirl for a burst of Italian flavor.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Soup

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2.2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cans (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
05 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
06 - 3 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

→ Basil Pesto

11 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
12 - 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
13 - 1 small garlic clove
14 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
16 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and add sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - While the soup simmers, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until achieving a smooth consistency. Season with salt.
06 - Once cooked, blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender.
07 - Stir in heavy cream, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Warm through without allowing the soup to boil.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a swirl of basil pesto. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It transforms simple pantry staples into something that tastes like youve been simmering it all day.
  • The basil pesto adds a fresh, herbaceous contrast that makes every spoonful feel bright and alive.
  • Its forgiving enough for beginners but impressive enough to serve to guests without breaking a sweat.
02 -
  • Always add cream off the heat or on very low heat, I once let it boil and ended up with grainy, separated soup that no amount of stirring could fix.
  • If using canned tomatoes, break them up with your hands as you add them to the pot, it releases more flavor than chopping them beforehand.
  • Blend the soup in batches if using a countertop blender and never fill it more than halfway, hot liquid expands and Ive learned that lesson the messy way.
03 -
  • Taste the soup before adding cream because once its in, you cant take it back and adjusting seasoning becomes trickier.
  • Use a high powered blender if you have one, it makes the soup impossibly smooth and almost restaurant quality in texture.
  • Make a double batch of pesto and freeze half in ice cube trays, then pop them into pasta, sandwiches, or your next pot of soup.
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