Tomato soup and a grilled cheese. No matter how grown up I am it’s still the best lunch ever on a cold snowy day.
To make this quintessential comfort food even more soul-warming, skip the stuff in the can and make this easy soup from scratch. Make it thick and slightly spicy, with a generous handful of fresh basil to brighten it up.
Replacing some of the tomato puree with V8 is a simple hack that adds depth to the flavor.
This soup starts with a thick chicken-broth base, and gets even thicker with the addition of tomato puree. As it simmers, it has a tendency to stick to the pan unless you keep it moving, so stay close by and stir frequently during the simmering time.
Sprinkle a little more fresh basil on top of each bowl for color. At this time of year, the best basil comes from hydroponically grown plants. I keep one on my windowsill for most of the winter, dreaming of far-off gardening season.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Tomato Basil Soup actually improves in flavor as it sits (up to a point of course). It will keep 5 days in the fridge, so make it ahead or keep leftovers within that range. It also freezes well.
Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup finely minced onion (1 small onion)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces V8 juice
- 28 ounces tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco), or more to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus additional for a garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Melt the butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2 When the onion is soft, add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Step 3 Stir in the flour, oregano and paprika and cook the mixture for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in the microwave for 3 minutes.
- Step 4 Add the hot broth and stir with a whisk until the mixture comes to a simmer. The mixture should be thick and smooth, with no lumps of flour.
- Step 5 Add the V8, tomato puree, honey and hot sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then maintain it at a low simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure to scrape the entire bottom of the pot so the soup doesn’t stick to the pot.
- Step 6 Add the cream and basil and continue to simmer 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Step 7 Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of sliced fresh basil.
