Tomato Basil Soup

Submitted by Desperada

"Serve with crusty French bread or a grilled cheese sandwich. YUM!"

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne
• 6 cups vegetable stock (can use chicken stock)
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 3⁄4 cup basil pesto

directions

1. Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and sugar and saute until caramelized.
2. Add the thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne and stir.
3. Add the stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add the cream and brandy. Simmer 5 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaves and puree about half of the soup in a blender until smooth.
6. Return the puree to the soup pot.
7. Add the basil pesto and heat through.
8. Serve. Can garnish with a little parmesan or mozzarella, fresh chives, croutons -- .

Reviews

[CJAY8248]

Wonderful recipe! I made it as written except for the brandy. I had it with a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Thanks for sharing. Made for PAC 2013.

 

[susienfred]

We have a local restraunt that has the BEST Tomatoe Basil soup and I have been trying and trying to find and equivalent recipe. This one did it. We LOVE it!!! Yummy!!! Thank you! It is really good the second day.

 

[Texaspollock]

This is a GREAT recipe!! Lots of ingredients so it sooks like it might be hard but it's super easy to put together. I made this for a group of family that came over on Saturday and asked them all to rate it for me. We got all 4.5 and 5 stars!! I will make this again! The only variation is that I didn't add the brandy because I didn't have any on hand and I used the chicken stock option. It was still wonderful! Thanks Desperada! Made for Spring PAC 2009