Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (Printer-friendly)

Velvety tomato soup finished with fresh basil pesto. A comforting Italian classic ready in under an hour.

# Required 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 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped 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 to combine.
04 - Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth and add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - While the soup simmers, combine 1 cup basil leaves, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1 small garlic clove, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt.
06 - Once the soup has finished cooking, blend until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender.
07 - Stir in 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Warm through but do not boil.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with a swirl of basil pesto. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you'd order at a cozy bistro but comes together in under an hour with pantry staples.
  • The pesto swirl turns each spoonful into a little flavor surprise, keeping it interesting from first bite to last.
  • It's flexible enough to go vegan or dairy-rich depending on what your fridge has that day.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors settle and deepen overnight.
02 -
  • Don't skip the sugar, even if it feels strange adding it to savory soup, it's the secret to balancing the tomato's natural acidity.
  • Blend the soup in batches if using a countertop blender and never fill it more than halfway, hot liquid expands and can blow the lid off.
  • Make the pesto right before serving or store it with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it from browning.
03 -
  • Roast the tomatoes with garlic and onion in the oven before adding them to the pot for a deeper, caramelized flavor that takes this soup to another level.
  • Use a small squeeze bottle to drizzle the pesto for Instagram-worthy swirls that'll make your bowls look like they came from a cafe.
  • Freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays so you always have a flavor boost ready for pasta, grain bowls, or your next batch of soup.
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