Tomato Soup Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Core and roughly chop the tomatoes if using fresh. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic. If you prefer a smoother final texture, peel the tomatoes by blanching: score an X on the tomato bottoms, immerse in boiling water 20–30 seconds, then transfer to ice water and slip off skins.

Sauté aromatics

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm 30 seconds. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent and the carrot has begun to soften, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Add tomato components

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw flavor. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes (or drained canned tomatoes) to the pot. Break up canned tomatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher so they release their juices.

Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock and the 1/2 cup water to reach desired consistency. Stir in the sugar, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly.

Blend until smooth

Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to puree the soup until smooth (take care with hot liquids). Alternatively, working in batches, transfer the soup to a countertop blender, filling no more than half the jar, hold the lid with a towel, and pulse until smooth. Return blended soup to the pot and rewarm over low heat.

Enrich and adjust seasoning

Stir in the butter and heavy cream (if using) and warm gently until the butter melts and the soup is heated through but not boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt, a pinch more sugar if tomatoes are too acidic, or a grind more black pepper as needed.

Serve

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with chopped fresh basil and croutons or serve with slices of crusty bread. Optionally drizzle a teaspoon of cream or a little extra-virgin olive oil on top for presentation.