Description
A comforting and classic tomato soup recipe made with fresh ingredients and simmered to perfection. This rich and creamy soup blends tomatoes, beans, and savory seasonings to create a hearty meal that can be customized with fresh basil for added flavor.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, with their liquid
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup cooked Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional Ingredients for Variation
- 10 to 15 fresh basil leaves, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Onions: In a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onion and salt, cooking while stirring occasionally until the onions become tender and translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, around 30 seconds.
- Simmer Soup Base: Add the whole tomatoes with their liquid and the vegetable broth to the pot, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Maintain a gentle simmer by reducing heat as needed and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Blend Soup Smooth: Remove the pot from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a blender, ensuring not to fill beyond the maximum fill line to prevent overflow — blend in batches if necessary. Add the cooked beans, butter pieces, sugar, and several twists of black pepper. Fasten the blender lid securely and blend until smooth, being cautious of hot steam.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the blended soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Add extra sugar to balance acidity, additional salt (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon), and more black pepper to your preference.
- Add Basil (Optional): If using fresh basil leaves, add them now and blend briefly again until the basil is incorporated. Serve the soup hot.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, use unsalted butter to control salt levels.
- The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Adjust sugar quantities based on the acidity of the canned tomatoes.
- Great Northern or cannellini beans add creaminess without overpowering the tomato flavor.
- Blending while the soup is slightly cooled helps avoid accidents with hot liquids.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
