Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (Printer-Friendly)

Velvety tomato soup finished with a fresh basil pesto swirl. Comforting, aromatic, and ready in under an hour.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Soup

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2.2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cans (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
05 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
06 - 3 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
10 - ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

→ Basil Pesto

11 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
12 - ¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
13 - 1 small garlic clove
14 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth, add sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - While the soup simmers, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until smooth. Season with salt.
06 - Once the soup is cooked, blend until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender.
07 - Stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Warm through but do not boil.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with a swirl of basil pesto. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms simple pantry staples into something that feels special without any fuss.
  • The pesto swirl adds a fresh herby punch that cuts through the richness beautifully.
  • You can make it smooth or chunky depending on your mood.
  • It reheats like a dream and tastes even better the next day.
02 -
  • Blend the soup carefully if using a countertop blender, hot liquids expand and can spray if the lid is not vented.
  • Add the cream after blending or it can curdle if the soup is too hot or blended too aggressively.
  • Do not skip the sugar, even a teaspoon makes the tomatoes taste sweeter and more balanced.
  • Taste the pesto before adding it to the soup, you might want more salt or oil depending on your basil.
03 -
  • Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for two minutes before blending, it brings out a deeper nuttiness in the pesto.
  • If the soup tastes too acidic, add another half teaspoon of sugar instead of more salt.
  • Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to save time and avoid transferring hot liquid.
  • Make extra pesto and toss it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches, or stir it into scrambled eggs.
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