Creamy Tomato Soup Basil Pesto (Printable Version)

Velvety tomato base blended with cream and topped with a vibrant swirl of fresh basil pesto.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tomato Soup

01 - 2 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2.2 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped
05 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
06 - 3 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 tsp sugar
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Fresh Basil Pesto

11 - 1.5 oz fresh basil leaves
12 - 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
13 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 small garlic clove
15 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
16 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
02 - Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes begin to break down.
04 - Pour in the vegetable broth, add sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
05 - In a food processor, combine basil, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Season with salt to taste.
06 - Once the soup has simmered, use an immersion blender to purée until smooth.
07 - Stir in the heavy cream and gently heat through for 2–3 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls, swirl a spoonful of basil pesto into each, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant-quality comfort, but comes together faster than you'd expect.
  • The basil pesto is the secret weapon that transforms simple ingredients into something people actually get excited about.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you can make it on a quiet Sunday and thank yourself later.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blending step—a chunky tomato soup is just stewed tomatoes, but a pureed one is comfort in a bowl.
  • Add the cream at the very end after blending; adding it earlier can cause it to break slightly when you blend, leaving tiny separated bits instead of silky smoothness.
  • Taste as you go—tomato acidity varies wildly depending on the season and variety, so that sugar and salt adjustment at the end isn't optional.
03 -
  • If your soup tastes too acidic, add a pinch more sugar and stir; if it tastes too sweet, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice balances it out instantly.
  • An immersion blender makes this so much easier than transferring to a regular blender, and it means less cleanup for something that should feel effortless.

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