I wish I could say that this tomato soup recipe was a family heirloom. The truth is that Traci was on a quest to find the perfect homemade tomato soup recipe. This is the result, which we love. It’s great with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Soup

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 6 cups whole Roma tomatoes in juice (2 large cans)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Croutons

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 slices rustic or sourdough bread, crusts removed, cut into 3/4-1" cubes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat the crouton butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until golden brown and fragrant (about 3 min).

Remove the saucepan from heat. Put the bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the browned butter over them, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss again.

Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the croutons are toasted and golden, about 20 min.

While the croutons are baking, heat the soup butter and olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion and garlic in the pan for about 15 minutes, or until the onion is clear.

Add the tomatoes, water, cream, salt, pepper, celery seed, oregano and sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45 min.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree in batches in a blender or with a hand mixer. Return the soup to the pot and reheat to a simmer, adding basil, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 5 more min.

To serve the soup, ladle into bowls and garnish with the croutons.

Prep time: 20 min.
Cook time: 1 hour 15 min.
Serves: 8.

Notes

Source: Traci Tabyanan.