Description
This Middle-of-Winter Creamy Tomato Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish made with canned crushed tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a touch of cream. Perfect for cold days, it combines sautéed aromatics with a rich tomato base, gently simmered and blended into a smooth, velvety soup. The recipe offers flexibility with dairy or plant-based milks and optional white wine for added depth, making it a versatile and easy-to-make meal that pairs beautifully with crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
Herbs and Seasonings
- optional: up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves and tender stems
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or generous pinch dried thyme)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Main Ingredients
- one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock or broth
- optional: ½ cup dry, unoaked white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream, milk, or unsweetened plant milk of choice (almond, oat milk, etc.)
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and carrots, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until vegetables soften. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Cook 1-2 more minutes until tomato paste browns and garlic is fragrant.
- Build and simmer: Add fresh basil, thyme, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and white wine if using. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Blend: Carefully transfer soup in batches to a stand blender, filling no more than ⅔ full, removing the center cap, and covering the hole with a thick kitchen towel while blending until smooth and creamy. Return soup to the pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
- Finish the creamy tomato soup: Stir in cream or milk of choice. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and top with cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh basil leaves as desired. Serve with crusty bread or a gooey mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use dry, unoaked white wines like Pinot Grigio to add complex flavor. Substitute with dry vermouth or vegetable broth with a splash of apple cider vinegar if you prefer no alcohol.
- For cream options, heavy cream or whole milk give richness; for dairy-free, use unsweetened almond or oat milk, avoiding strong-flavored coconut milk.
- Prep vegetables ahead by dicing onions and carrots and storing in the fridge up to 5 days for quick meal prep.
- Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on stovetop or microwave.
- Freeze soup in airtight containers or portioned cubes up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
