There are few foods I crave on a regular basis. Tomato basil soup is one of them. And since the weather turned from unseasonably warm to brisk and breezy, I’m hankering for a big bowl of the concoction right now.
It wouldn’t take much time or effort to satisfy my hunger. Tomato basil soup calls for a short list of ingredients and comes together in under an hour. Despite its simplicity, the finished product is exquisite – creamy yet light, thanks to the addition of evaporated milk versus heavy cream as a thickener.
While you can enjoy tomato basil soup hot off the stove, leftovers are delicious. In fact, I like to add a little frozen roasted corn or chopped fresh spinach when reheating a single serving in the microwave for extra flavor and texture.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with basil, crushed by hand
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups evaporated milk
- salt and pepper croutons (see notes)
- fresh basil (optional, for garnish)
- In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and flour. Slowly add mixture to pot; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
- Remove soup from heat and purée. Add sugar, salt, baking soda and evaporated milk and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt to taste.
- Garnish with croutons and basil, if using.
