This soup is one of my favorites. When I was living in Maryland about a decade ago, I used to frequent La Madeleine restaurant for lunch. It’s a cute French style bistro with THE BEST tomato soup. It’s so good they even sell it in quart jars for you to have at home (I may have brought home a gallon of it once from a trip to Texas, that’s how much I love it, but I digress).
Years ago I went looking for a copycat recipe. I actually ended up finding the real recipe, go figure. Since then, I’ve made some tweaks – upped the tomato quotient, added garlic (because duh), reduced the amount of certain ingredients – to suit my own palate. What results is a decadent, creamy tomato basil soup that pairs perfectly with a classic grilled cheese sandwich, some crunchy croutons, or a Caesar salad. I may even like it more than the soup that inspired it.
Tomato Basil Soup
Make time: 25 minutes
Serves 8
1 tbsp garlic
28 oz (1 can) crushed tomatoes
6 oz (1 can) tomato paste 2 cups tomato juice
0.5 oz (1 pack) basil
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz (1 stick) butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
- Bring garlic, tomato juice, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes to a boil in large stock pan.
- Once boiled, transfer into blender, vitamix, food processor with basil leaves and purée (you may have to do several small batches depending on the size of your blending device). I use a nutribullet. Set aside in separate bowl.
- Return puréed tomato & basil mix to pot over medium high heat
- Add heavy cream, butter, and salt & pepper to taste
- Bring to boil
- Serve hot
And there you have it. Tasty, creamy tomato basil soup.
Nutritional Info: 260 calories per serving; 24g Fat | 10.8g Carbs | 2.3g Protein
