I’ve tried a LOT of Tomato Basil Soups. They are all delicious. It’s hard to duplicate the creamy, thick variety. I found a secret... crushed tomatoes (skins and all) This adds great texture, and a bright fresh flavor that are hard to achieve without roasting fresh tomatoes (which are rare this time of year)
This all came about because I wasn't paying attention when I was shopping for canned tomatoes at Sam’s Club. I get tired of paying over $1.00 for a 15-oz can - and that’s a LOT of cans to open! I bought a #10 can at Sam’s Club for $2.89. That’s 96 ounces (almost the equivalent of four 28-oz cans). So it was a bargain. But what I didn’t realize was that it was CRUSHED tomatoes, skin and all. When I first opened it, I was so disappointed. Tomato skin is not very appetizing (to me), and I almost threw it out. That would have been a mistake.
This put me on my quest for a soup recipe that utilized crushed tomatoes (there aren’t many out there...) Most of the time, crushed tomatoes are used to make pizza and pasta sauces.
Everyone loves Tomato Basil Soup. Tomato soup has come a LONG way from the Campbell’s in a can - thanks to fresh ingredients, lower sugar, and very little starch.
I looked all over for a recipe that met my expectations, so this is a combination of about four. But, as I said before, the secret I found was a can of crushed tomatoes. It adds body to the soup in a way that thickening (such as flour, cornstarch, etc...) can’t. At the same time it retains a really fresh-from-the-garden flavor - not to mention the color. The red is so bright it will blind you!
You can thin this with cream or milk, which makes the flavor less intense. I chose not to. Add toppings of your choice - including grated parmesan, a drizzle of sour cream, orzo pasta, etc...
For the recipe/photos/instructions - go to:
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