Description
A creamy, comforting tomato basil soup made with diced tomatoes, carrots, celery and onion, thickened with a golden roux and finished with Parmesan, half and half and fresh basil. Ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 ribs of celery, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups half and half or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery and sauté for 5–7 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano and dried basil. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Blend the soup with an immersion or regular blender until smooth (in batches if needed), then return it to the pot.
- In a separate saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, until the roux turns golden brown.
- Whisk a ladle of soup into the roux to form a paste, then slowly add a few more ladles until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the soup pot and stir well.
- Stir in the Parmesan, half and half or milk, salt, pepper and fresh basil. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes, until warmed through.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve hot.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American