Creamy Tomato Basil Soup for Two

On a gray, chilly evening, there’s nothing I want more than a big bowl of tomato soup and something to dunk in it.

This creamy tomato basil soup for two is silky, a little sweet, and full of fresh basil, and it makes just enough for two big bowls.

It comes together from a handful of simple ingredients in about 35 minutes, so it’s the kind of cozy you can pull off on a weeknight.

And yes, grilled cheese on the side is strongly encouraged.

Why You’ll Love It

• Five ingredients plus olive oil, salt, pepper, and water.
• One pot and an immersion blender.
• About 35 minutes.
• Makes two generous bowls, about 3 1/2 to 4 cups.
• Vegetarian and gluten-free.
• Freezes for 3 months if you freeze it before the cream goes in.

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, San Marzano style, with their juice

1 medium yellow onion, diced, about 1 cup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup heavy cream, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for serving

10 to 12 large fresh basil leaves, plus a few small leaves for serving

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart stainless steel or enameled pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, stirring now and then, until it’s soft and golden at the edges. Don’t rush this step. The onion is doing the job sugar does in other tomato soups.

2. Add the garlic and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.

3. Add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing each tomato with your hand as it goes into the pot, or break them up in the pot with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the juice has thickened a little.

4. Add the water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and simmer over medium-low for 12 to 15 minutes.

5. Take the pot off the heat and add the basil leaves. Blend with an immersion blender for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth, keeping the blade fully under the surface so hot soup doesn’t spray. If you’re using a countertop blender, let the soup cool for 10 minutes first, fill the jar no more than halfway, take out the center cap of the lid, and hold a folded towel over the opening while you blend.

6. Return the pot to low heat and stir in the 1/3 cup of cream. Warm it for 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t let it boil once the cream is in.

7. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If it tastes too sharp, add another tablespoon of cream or a pinch more salt. If it’s thicker than you like, add water a tablespoon at a time.

8. Ladle it into two bowls, swirl in the remaining cream, and top with small basil leaves, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

Under-salting is the most common reason a tomato soup made with water tastes flat. Canned tomatoes vary a lot in how much salt they already contain, so taste at the end and add salt a pinch at a time until the tomato flavor sharpens.

Use heavy cream, not milk or half-and-half. The higher fat in heavy cream keeps it from curdling when it meets the acid in the tomatoes.

Use a stainless steel or enameled pot. Aluminum and bare cast iron react with tomato acid and can give the soup a metallic taste.

The basil goes in off the heat, right before blending, so it tastes fresh. Simmered basil turns muted.

If you have more time, let it simmer for up to 30 minutes in step 4. The longer simmer gives it a deeper, rounder tomato flavor.

Whole canned tomatoes are usually better quality than crushed or diced, and San Marzano-style tomatoes are on the sweeter side, which matters in a soup with no sugar.

To make it dairy-free, leave out the cream and blend in 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. It won’t be as rich, but it will be smooth.

Serving Ideas

Grilled cheese, cut into strips for dipping.

Croutons made from day-old bread, cubed, tossed in olive oil, and toasted in a skillet for about 5 minutes.

A spoonful of pesto or grated Parmesan swirled into each bowl.

For lunch, it travels well in an insulated food jar. Heat it until steaming before you pack it.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The soup keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

To freeze it, make the soup through step 5 and leave out the cream. Freeze it in a container, or flat in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, reheat, and stir in the cream at the end.

Soup that already has the cream in it can be frozen too, but it may separate when it thaws. Whisk it hard or blend it briefly while it reheats to bring it back together.

Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, and don’t let it boil.