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Easy Fresh Tomato Basil Soup (Best No-Cream Recipe)

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This fresh tomato basil soup is deceptively simple — five main ingredients, one pot, and about thirty minutes — but it tastes like something you’d order at a fancy little café. No cream needed, just good tomatoes and a little trust.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2.5 pounds (about 1.1 kg) fresh Roma or San Marzano tomatoes, quartered
  • 6–8 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Rinse tomatoes under cool water and pat dry. Cut out the core, then cut each tomato in half through the equator, then each half into quarters. Leave the skins on.
  2. Smash the garlic. Lay the flat side of a chef’s knife on each clove and give it a firm smack with your palm. Peel off the skin and leave cloves whole.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
  4. Cook the garlic. Add smashed garlic cloves to the warm oil and let them sizzle gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant but not browned.
  5. Add the tomatoes. Dump all quartered tomatoes into the pot. Stir to distribute garlic. Add salt and stir again.
  6. Add the basil. Toss in whole basil leaves, stems and all. Do not chop.
  7. Simmer. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until tomatoes are completely soft and falling apart and liquid has reduced slightly.
  8. Blend. Remove pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, about 60-90 seconds. If using a countertop blender, let soup cool for 10 minutes first, then blend in batches, filling blender no more than halfway. Hold lid down with a kitchen towel.
  9. Taste and adjust. Add more salt, a pinch of sugar, or a splash of balsamic vinegar as needed.
  10. Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Notes

Don’t rush the simmer — the difference between 15 and 25 minutes is significant. Salt at the beginning and end for best flavor. Watch your heat to avoid scorching. If using a countertop blender, let soup cool before blending and hold lid down with a towel. Taste as you go. Stick to about 1 cup of basil to avoid it tasting like pesto. This soup tastes even better on day two or three.

Nutrition

Keywords: tomato basil soup, fresh tomato soup, no cream tomato soup, easy tomato soup, dairy-free soup, vegan soup, healthy soup, summer soup

Find it online: https://sparklespoon.com/easy-fresh-tomato-basil-soup-best-no-cream-recipe/