Silky, café-style tomato soup with sautéed aromatics, toasted tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, and a velvety cream finish. Balanced, cozy, and weeknight-easy—perfect with grilled cheese or croutons.
2tablespoonsfresh basil, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1teaspoondried oregano
1bay leaf
1teaspoongranulated sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
1/2cupheavy cream (or half-and-half for lighter texture)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
croutons, grated Parmesan, extra basil (optional garnish)
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add diced onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 4–5 minutes.
Stir in minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, adjusting heat as needed to prevent browning.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, 1–2 minutes to toast and deepen the flavor.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pot. Stir to combine.
Add chopped fresh basil, dried oregano, bay leaf, and the optional sugar if tomatoes taste very acidic. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors meld.
Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Blend the soup until completely smooth using an immersion blender (or carefully blend in batches in a countertop blender, venting the lid and covering with a towel).
Return the soup to low heat. Stir in heavy cream and warm gently 3–5 minutes without boiling. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if needed.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream, fresh basil, croutons, or grated Parmesan as desired. Serve hot.