An incredibly simple tomato soup full of fresh tomato flavor (but made from canned tomatoes!) Thick and creamy, comforting, and everything you want from homemade tomato soup.
Yield: 4
Ingredients
28ouncescanned whole or diced tomatoes
2tablespoonsbuttercan substitute olive oil or vegan butter
1yellow onionmedium sized; diced
3cupslow-sodium vegetable broth
1clovegarlicminced
1/2teaspoonkosher saltplus more to taste
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more to taste
3tablespoonsheavy creamcan substitute cashew cream or coconut milk
Instructions
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, breaking them apart with a wooden spoon as they cook. Simmer until the tomatoes thicken and begin to break down, about 15 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature so that it's safe to puree without danger of burning yourself.
Puree ingredients in a blender, food processor, or right in the pan with an immersion blender. Return the mixture to the pan and return to a simmer.
Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk and add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve garnished with fresh parsley or basil and an extra drizzle of cream if desired.
Notes
Vegan/Dairy-Free Option:
Saute the onion in olive oil or vegan butter, and use canned coconut milk or cashew cream to make the soup creamy. Recipe update 1/27/2024: I've updated this recipe to include a step to saute the onion and garlic. The previous version of the recipe called for simmering the onion, butter, and tomatoes together for awhile before adding the broth. When I developed this recipe, I wanted to create a spin on tomato soup using Marcella Hazan's method for amazing tomato sauce using only butter, tomato, and onion. However, I've found over time that a more traditional start of sauteeing the onion first makes more sense in this soup recipe. I've also reduced the butter/olive oil from 6 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons.