A velvety, classic creamy tomato soup made from fresh ripe tomatoes, finished with cream and fresh basil. Ready in 35 minutes and perfect alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.
Creamy tomato soup is a global classic — the perfect American pairing with a grilled cheese sandwich.
In 35 minutes from fresh tomatoes you get a warm, creamy, basil-scented bowl. The eternal grandmother's recipe.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and stir for 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stir, and cook for 5 minutes until they release their juices and soften.
Pour the broth over the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cover the pot and let the soup cook for 15 minutes. The vegetables will be fully tender and the flavours will meld.
Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend the soup until completely smooth and creamy. For a rustic texture, blend only three-quarters.
Stir in the cream and brown sugar. Mix and cook for 2 minutes over low heat (do not boil after adding cream — it will curdle).
Add salt, pepper, and chopped basil (reserve a few leaves for garnish). Ladle into bowls, garnish with basil leaves, and serve with a grilled cheese sandwich.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Classic Creamy Tomato Soup, and how to fix them:
Tomatoes were under-ripe. Add an extra 5 g brown sugar, or a spoonful of cream.
Not blended thoroughly, or tomatoes kept their skins. Pass the soup through a strainer after blending for a silky texture.
The soup was boiling when cream was added. Lower the heat first, and add cream at room temperature rather than straight from the refrigerator.
Needs more seasoning. Add freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of paprika, or a small spoonful of tomato paste.
3 days in an airtight container. Stir in a spoonful of cream when reheating if it has lost its texture.
Up to 3 months without cream (it will curdle when thawed). Add the cream when reheating after thawing.
Make a double batch and freeze half. Soup on the table in 10 minutes whenever you need it.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking cream | Full-fat coconut milk | 1:1 | Vegan, different flavour |
| Fresh basil | Dried basil | 3:1 | Fresh gives deeper flavour |
| Fresh tomatoes | Canned whole peeled tomatoes (800 g) | 1:1 | Practical substitute out of season |
| Brown sugar | date molasses | 1:1 | Traditional substitute |
| Ingredient | 4 servings | 2 servings | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 800 g | 400 g | 1.6 kg |
| Broth | 500 ml | 250 ml | 1 L |
| Cream | 100 ml | 50 ml | 200 ml |
Use very ripe tomatoes (soft when pressed with a thumb). If tomatoes are out of season, use a can of whole peeled tomatoes (800 g) — they taste better than pale winter tomatoes.
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