Cream Of Tomato Recipe

Chop & Prep

If using fresh tomatoes: core and quarter them. If using canned tomatoes: open the can. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, peel and roughly chop the carrot, and chop the celery. Measure out tomato paste, stock and seasonings.

Sauté Aromatics

In a large saucepan or medium pot, heat the vegetable or olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and beginning to color, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, chopped carrot and celery and cook 3–4 more minutes until they start to soften.

Build Tomato Flavor

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen the flavor. Add the tomatoes (fresh or canned), breaking up whole tomatoes with a spoon. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaf, sugar (if using), salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer

Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes and vegetables are very soft and flavors have melded.

Remove Bay Leaf & Purée

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth, working directly in the pot. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup in batches to a countertop blender and purée until smooth, then return to the pot.

Strain (optional)

For an extra-silky texture, pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a clean pot, pressing with a spatula to extract solids and discard seeds and fibers.

Finish with Cream & Butter

Over low heat, stir in the unsalted butter until melted. Add the double cream and warm gently — do not boil once the cream is added. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and the lemon juice if using. If the soup is too thick, add up to 100 ml extra stock or water to reach desired consistency.

Add Herbs

Stir in chopped fresh basil leaves just before serving (or reserve for garnish).

Ladle the cream of tomato into bowls or cups. Drizzle a little extra cream or olive oil on top if desired and serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese. Enjoy warm.