Thick and creamy Tomato basil soup made with tomatoes, basil, garlic and coconut cream (or regular cream) is comfort food at it’s best! Serve this Gazpacho style or warm with a drizzle of sour cream or Greek yogurt and croutons.
Growing up Italian it was ingrained in us to like juicy plump tomatoes and soups. Every meal at my grandparents house consisted of homemade marinara sauce bathed over lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs with a side of Italian sausage. Dinner was a 4 course meal with Italian wedding soup served first followed by a salad, the main course and dessert. My family, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all gathered around the oblong dark table in an aroma filled dining room next to the kitchen. We would sit there for 3-4 hours enjoying each other’s company.
Awe, the sweet memories of childhood and family gathered together over a meal brings the brightest joy that gleams through my eyes!
Moving forward a few years to high school my mom used to take us to a restaurant called Brio’s in Virginia. We would all love to get the creamy tomato basil soup that was served with fresh loaf of baguette. Tomatoes simmered with basil and garlic go so well together and add a bit of cream and Parmesan cheese to the mix – your mouth will be singing for joy!
Tomato basil soup can be served hot or cold (Gazpacho, of Spanish origin) but I prefer to eat soup hot. Really hot in fact! It just brings out more flavors and aromas that enhance the experience. It can also be made smooth or chunky, so if you prefer the chunky version, just pulse the ingredients together lightly in the blender.
The base of this tomato soup recipe starts from my grandmother’s homemade marinara sauce recipe. I just went to the Farmer’s Market and purchased a large bag of fresh tomatoes in which I was planning on making pasta sauce. After the tomatoes simmered for about an hour I decided to try out soup. Chase and I just planted fresh herbs in our garden so there was plenty of extra basil to add to our homemade tomato soup. If you have your own garden or are interested in learning how to grow your own tomatoes and plants, here is a great site with videos on growing plants.
To make your soup, slice the fresh tomatoes (from your garden!) in half then place them in a large pot. Add garlic, basil, olive oil, coconut sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for about 45 minutes to 1 hour covered. After an hour add 1/4 cup of corn starch and cream. I like to use coconut cream which can be found at health food stores and Trader Joe’s. If you do not care about dairy free soups then just use regular cream. Once the tomato basil soup is made and is slightly cooled add it to a blender. Pulse or puree until you get the desired thickness you prefer.
With any food, it is important to use the best and freshest ingredients. Otherwise you may have a masterpiece that turns out with too much salt trying to “bring out the flavor”. Fresh tomatoes and herbs are a powerful way to bring out flavor in this tomato basil soup.
Most tomato soup recipes call for some kind of stock such as vegetable or chicken broth. I left it out and think it is even more delicious! The Farmers Market tomatoes were just so sweet in this recipe!
- 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes
- 1 carrot, chopped
- ½ cup of sweet white onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of coconut sugar
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1¾ teaspoon of Himalayan salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup of corn starch
- 1 cup of cream (regular or coconut creamer)
- Slice the tomatoes in half. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat add the halved tomatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, olive oil, coconut sugar, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat down to a simmer or low. Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove from the heat and add the corn starch and cream. Let it cool then add to a blender. Pulse or puree until the desired thickness occurs. If needed put it back on the stove to heat up before serving. Garnish with onion chives, basil, sour cream or Greek yogurt.
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
Coconut Curry Soup In Curry Sauce
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