Italian Tomato Soup with Basil Recipe
This Italian tomato soup is thick, fragrant and very simple. It’s based on ripe tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil – no cream or unnecessary extras. It’s a bit like a cross between Polish tomato soup and Italian pasta sauce, just in a version you eat with a spoon. Great for a light lunch or dinner.
This tomato soup tastes like Italian summer in a bowl – it relies solely on ripe tomatoes, good stock and fresh basil, with no cream or thickeners. It combines the Polish fondness for tomato soup with the intensity of Italian sugo, yet stays light and full of freshness. Thanks to the simple ingredient list, you can really taste the difference between summer, in-season tomatoes and those from a jar.
Chef's tips
Make sure to cook down the tomatoes well – don’t rush the simmering stage, as that’s when the depth of flavour develops; the pot should gently “blip” rather than boil vigorously. Blend the soup only when the vegetables are completely soft and the acidity of the tomatoes has been balanced with a little sugar or sweet carrot. Don’t cook the basil at the end – add it just before serving so it doesn’t lose its colour and aroma.
How to serve
Serve it with a slice of crunchy, toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil or with garlic croutons – just like they do in small family osterias. To drink, a glass of light red wine (e.g. Chianti) or homemade lemonade with lemon and mint works beautifully. It’s a soup that’s easy to serve as a light after-work lunch or a warming dinner after a long autumn walk.
Ingredients
- ripe fresh tomatoes or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes - 800 g
- vegetable or chicken stock - 700 ml
- onion medium - 1 piece
- carrot small - 1 piece
- celery stalk optional, adds depth of flavour - 1 stalk
- garlic - 2 cloves
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- sugar to balance the acidity - 0.5 teaspoons
- fresh basil leaves - 1 handful
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- croutons or baguette for serving, optional
Preparation
- If using fresh tomatoes, score a cross on the bottom of each, pour boiling water over them for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to cold water. Peel off the skins, remove the hard cores and chop into pieces.
- Peel the onion and carrot (just wash the celery) and cut them into small dice. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and become slightly translucent but do not brown.
- Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds more, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomatoes (or canned tomatoes) and the stock. Add the sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
- Bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft and the tomatoes have broken down.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add the basil leaves (reserve a few for garnish). Blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, you can pass the soup through a sieve, but it will take more time.
- Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper and, if needed, a little more sugar if it’s too acidic.
- Serve hot, drizzled with a little olive oil and garnished with basil leaves. You can add croutons or a slice of toasted baguette.
Storage
Keep the cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently, stirring, and add fresh basil and toppings just before serving.
