Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Garlic Croutons
Preparation Time:
15 min
Ingredients:
- 400g of canned whole tomatoes
- 200ml of vegetable broth
- 100g of fresh basil leaves
- 150ml of heavy cream
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 50g of stale bread, cubed
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Kitchen Tools Needed:
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Baking tray
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
Instructions:
The saucepan with olive oil should be heated at medium heat as the first procedure. Add chopped onions to the saucepan after heating olive oil at medium temperature. Regular stirring will achieve their soft translucent state within five minutes of cooking. The minced garlic requires a brief stir while you wait for the kitchen to fill with an outstanding fragrance (30 seconds to one minute).
After adding the cans of tomatoes and vegetable broth you should season with desired salt and pepper. Let everything boil at first before lowering heat and allowing the mixture to gently simmer for 20 minutes until all tastes unite.
Lift the soup from heat and blend it smoothly using an immersion blender as your primary tool to achieve this step. Reintroduce the blended mixture to the pot followed by heavy cream and fresh basil leaves before allowing it to warm for 5 minutes.
For those perfect garlic croutons: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Mix the bread cubes with olive oil while adding minced garlic and small amounts of salt until all components achieve proper coating. Place the croutons on a baking tray and let them bake at 180°C (356°F) until they turn golden brown and crispy throughout the period of 10-15 minutes.
Present the hot soup in bowls with large crouton portions that emerge from home-made garlic croutons on each serving. Enjoy your delicious, comforting meal!
Macros:
- Total Calories: 440kcal
- Carbs: 35g
- Proteins: 8g
- Fats: 25g
Creamy tomato and Basil Soup with Garlic Croutons is a vintage comfort meal that unites creamy and tangy taste of tomatoes with the fresh scent of basil and creamy texture. This recipe is ideal in case you are feeling like staying in and you want something light without it being bland. The homemade crutons (garlic) are indeed crunchy and they go well with the next level of smooth finish given by the soup and each spoonful is a pure joy. Canned whole tomatoes are convenient, and also offer a deep, and natural tomato flavor that tastes the same year ~ round. The tomatoes are simmered in moderate amounts of vegetable broth to develop a well-rounded base, so the inherent sweet and sour taste can be really brought out each tomato. The most important thing to this simmering slowly is that it helps form a soup that is rich and complex but not overwhelming.
The combination of onions and garlic is cooked in the beginning to form a flavorful base of the soup. The sweetness of the onions and a slight pungency of the garlic complements the flavor composition and enriches this overall dish. This easy procedure takes the soup outside of the territory of plain tomato soup and makes the flavour of the soup more refined. The element of making the soup silky smooth by blending it to perfection is what makes the difference between the soup as being a chunky stew and being a luscious, creamy soup. It is both convenient, and it preserves the fresh tastes, as an immersion blender in a pot will not lose anything in liquid as all the ingredients will be evenly mixed. The tomatoes are very acidic, and the heavy cream used at the end helps neutralize the flavor. In addition, it makes the soup creamy, which is its hallmark.
The fresh basil is also to be added later on in the course of cooking so that its fresh and spicy nature does not disappear. The herb adds to the fresh, peppery and slightly sweet flavor which goes well against the cream richness and the tomato tang. This part is also used to add a beautiful green color to the soup hence making it attractive in terms of appearance. The crunchy attachment is the Garlic croutones, which carries the contrast to the smooth nature of the soup. Stale bread is great to avoid wasting great quality and the roasting with garlic and olive oil brings out more flavors, as it becomes delicious. The crunchy croutons absorb part of the soup and retain its crunchiness at the same time, which is an indresistible mix of textures. This soup is easily versatile and can either be eaten as an appetizer or a main course. When combined with a fresh salad or grilled cheese sandwich it becomes a heavy meal. It is also easy to freeze, and hence can be prepared ahead. The cream N rolls of onion, basil soup with garlic croutons is an amazing soup that will not disappoint you and will leave people to come do lunch at your place again.
