Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (Printable)

Velvety tomato soup with a bright basil pesto swirl. A 45-minute Italian comfort classic.

# What You'll Need:

→ Soup

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2.2 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cans (28 oz) 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 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

→ Basil Pesto

11 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
12 - 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
13 - 1 small garlic clove
14 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 1/4 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 to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and add sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - While 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 cooked, blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender.
07 - Stir in heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Warm through without boiling.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a swirl of basil pesto. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It turns everyday tomatoes into something that tastes like youve been cooking all day, even though you havent.
  • The basil pesto adds a fresh brightness that cuts through the richness and makes every spoonful different.
  • Its the kind of soup that works for a quick lunch or a dinner party with zero stress.
  • You probably have most of the ingredients already, and it comes together faster than ordering takeout.
02 -
  • Dont boil the soup after adding the cream, or it can curdle and ruin the silky texture you worked for.
  • Blend the soup while its hot for the smoothest consistency, cold soup is harder to puree evenly.
  • Taste the pesto before you add it to the soup, it should be bold and salty enough to stand out against the creamy tomato base.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of pesto and freeze half in ice cube trays, then pop them into soups, pasta, or scrambled eggs whenever you need a burst of freshness.
  • If your tomatoes are too acidic, add an extra half teaspoon of sugar instead of more salt, it balances the flavor without making it salty.
  • Use an immersion blender if you have one, it saves time and keeps the cleanup simple.
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