Progresso Tomato Basil Soup (Copycat)

Submitted by The Spice Guru

"My reverse-engineered recipe for Progresso's popular Tomato Basil Soup, as requested by a fellow Food.com member. It's a bit on the sweet side, if you've never tried the original."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 7 cups cold water
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1⁄3 cup wondra gravy flour
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried sweet basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons butter flavor seasoning (Butter Buds)
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 3⁄4 teaspoon morton salt substitute
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 small bay leaf (removed)

directions

1. NOTE: USE ONE 12-OZ CAN TOMATO PASTE, OR TWO 6-OUNCE CANS. USE VERY COLD WATER. (STEP 1): VIGOROUSLY whisk ingredients in a 2 1/2 quart saucepan until smooth.
2. BRING mixture to a boil for one minute while whisking then reduce heat.
3. SIMMER soup for 15 minutes, then remove bay leaf.
4. LADLE into serving bowls and garnish as desired.
5. SERVE and enjoy.

Reviews

[spimattfisher]

Great ! I had made myself a grilled cheese sandwich and finished off our last tin of this soup when I decided I just absolutely had to have more. Just finished blending it, and it's heating on the stove now. Tastes great ! Gets the sweetness right on (and shows you just how heavy handed "food" manufacturers are with sweeteners) , and the consistency is very good; seems just slightly thing of the original. Unfortunately I had to omit the butter powder, salt substitute and lemon pepper as I didn't have any on hand. I'm honestly not sure what the salt substitute and lemon pepper would offer in flavor, although they may just subtly shape some of the existing flavors. I can't help but wonder, however, if butter powder would lend it a bit more "creaminess". I otherwise followed the recipe's proportions carefully. I would suggest that if your balsamic vinegar is particularly aromatic, that you start by adding perhaps just 2 teaspons instead of the recommended 4, as the aroma of balsamic in mine is strong enough to be distinguished, as is the garlic powder. This does seem to capture the sweetness of the original product quite well; sadly this is accomplished, like the original, by sugar and corn syrup. One day perhaps I'll give this recipe a try with maybe just half the sugar content and no corn syrup at all, but for now I wanted a clone and I got a clone. Thank you The Spice Guru !

 

[dreamer o.]

Why go to all this when a can of Progesso is no more than $1.99/can. Not worth the ingredients' cost or time.

 

[jayc0475]

I'm so glad you created this recipe, it's great I love it.