Tomato Basil Soup

I think, there is nothing more comforting than a homemade Tomato Basil Soup on a cold winter evening and believe me this is coming from a person who is not very fond of soup. I found the recipe online and needless to say this is a fuss free, quick and delicious recipe. Easy to store too and tastes great with some crunchy homemade croutons. The addition of garlic and the taste of caramelized onions with the heavy cream brings a smooth silky texture in the soup while the black pepper creates a heat on the tongue making you feel warm and happy!

I decided to prepare this delicious soup as a welcome drink at one of our get together parties. We were doing a North Indian themed party with all our favorite dishes and suddenly it hit me that Tomato Soup is the most common welcome drink served at North Indian winter weddings. Now before serving this to the guests I decided to do a trial run. The original recipe asked for canned San Marzano tomatoes which I couldn’t find at that time so I picked up another brand and gave it a try. It tasted delicious and immediately Debarshi and I decided to include this in our party menu. I did however, get the recommended canned Italian tomatoes the second time and I have to say they do bring that bright reddish color in the soup (see the above photo) plus it also has Basil leaves added in it.

Preparing this soup is pretty straightforward, fry the onion and garlic, add the tomatoes and the chicken broth and it is ready in no time. When using the blender or Nutri Bullet (use the extractor blade) make sure to cool down the soup for at least 30 minutes otherwise the steam will lock the lid/ blade. I always give it ample time to cool down and then make a puree. Once it is ready you can add the heavy cream and black pepper and either warm it up and serve immediately or refrigerate for later consumption. Before serving, garnish with some chopped basil leaves and enjoy with croutons.

This welcome drink was a hit at our party and everybody loved it! Believe me once you prepare this at home, you will never want to go back to the readymade ones. Since it is easy to store, you can prepare a few batches in bulk and refrigerate them till you are ready to consume. When serving to the guests present the soup in tall glasses (see the above photo) or small bowls (see below) and don’t forget to include some homemade crunchy croutons. Remember:

“Happiness is…. hot soup on a cold day”.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon 
• Butter - 1 tablespoon, unsalted sweet cream
• Yellow Onion - 1 medium, medium diced
• Salt – to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)
• Garlic - 2 medium cloves, minced
• Red Pepper Flakes – a pinch
• Whole Peeled Tomatoes - 1 (28-ounce) can, tomatoes in their juices - preferably San Marzano
• Chicken Broth - 1 ½ cups, low-sodium
• Heavy Cream - 1/3 cup 
• Black Pepper – coarsely grounded, a pinch or two

To garnish:

• Basil Leaves – 5-6 fresh, julienned or chopped
• Croutons – (see the article - Skillet Croutons – homemade all the way)

Directions:

• Heat a wok over medium-low heat.
• Add the Olive Oil and Butter in it.
• When the Butter melts, add the Onion and a big pinch of Salt. 
• Cook for about 5 minutes then increase the heat to medium and add the Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Cook until the onion is completely soft, about 15 minutes. (If at any point the onion looks like it’s beginning to brown, reduce the heat.)
• When the Onion turns to a beautiful golden red color, increase the heat to medium and add the Tomatoes and their juices to the pan. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Roughly crush the Tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Cover and cook until they are hot and beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. 
• Add the Broth and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook until the tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 15 minutes. 
• Remove the soup from the heat. If you are using a hand blender, cool for 10-15 minutes. For Nutri bullet you may want to wait for at least 20 minutes otherwise the steam may lock the blade. Purée the soup in a couple of batches until it looks smooth.
• Add the Heavy Cream with the Black Pepper and taste to adjust the seasonings.
• At this point you can do either of these steps, either, return the soup to the wok, warm it up and serve immediately. Or, cool the soup, transfer it in an airtight container and refrigerate. Before consuming simply heat it up in the microwave and add a dollop of butter.
• Before serving don’t forget to garnish with Basil leaves and add some Croutons. Enjoy!

Tip:

• If you are in a hurry to make the puree, place the warm soup in the freezer for 15-20 minutes so that it cools down. Remember warm soup will create steam which will lock your Nutri Bullet’s blade. 
• I know most of the Tomato soup recipes call for canned tomatoes. However, recently I have stopped using all canned goods. If you are like me, then you are in for a treat! You will be delighted to know that this soup can be prepared using fresh Tomatoes. Just use 3 big tomatoes and follow the same directions. 
• If you don't have fresh Basil leaves at home, try adding some Basil Pesto. I always keep a pack of Basil Pesto in my freezer and use it whenever I want. Just keep the pack outside while you are prepping and cooking the soup. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Basil Pesto in it, mix and puree. Ta da! Delicious homemade soup every time!

Tomato soup prepared with another brand of tomatoes, although it tastes the same, you can clearly see the difference in color.

Recommended Reading:

• Skillet Croutons – homemade all the way
• Debarshi’s Amuse Bouche
• Allahabadi Fruit Cream
• Egg Drop Soup
• Keto Pizza with Pepperoni, Parmesan and Basil
• Butter Paneer (Indian Recipe: Fresh Cheese in a creamy buttery gravy)
• Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Egg Salad (not to be afraid of when you are on Keto diet)
• Keto Pizza with Shrimp and Basil Pesto
• Make Homemade Butter from Spoiled Cream
• No Knead Dutch Oven Artisan Bread
• 15 minutes Butter Crackers
• Sausage Tomato Basil Pasta

Skillet Croutons – homemade all the way

I am not a salad or soup girl, there I said it! On any day I will rather have rice, dal and Alu Bhaja (crispy potato fries) rather than a bowl of salad or soup. However, it’s an altogether different story with croutons. I love Croutons so much that I have started preparing them at home so that I can enjoy them whenever I want. Now some people may prefer the baking method but let me tell you, preparing croutons on the skillet is much easier and quicker. It gives you more control over the color and crunchiness of the croutons. You can decide then and there if you want to add any seasonings or maybe sprinkle some cheese. Believe me once you prepare croutons at home, you will never want to go back to the store bought ones especially because this whole process is so economical. We always buy fresh bread for our daily consumption and usually we are left with a couple of day old slices. Instead of making a sad dull sandwich with a day old bread, how about we prepare a hearty soup or a gorgeous salad and serve it with crunchy homemade croutons! For this recipe, you can use any day old bread but it tastes best when prepared with sourdough or white breads.

Croutons should be toasted on the outside (so that they break with a crunch) and slightly soft on the inside and with this recipe you will be able to prepare them in just this way. Now you can very well use olive oil or a combination of butter and olive oil but let me tell you, for the best flavor I prefer to use just butter. Pan frying gives you the flexibility to control the amount of fat as per your preference, hence you can either shallow fry the bread cubes or just brush them lightly. Plus, you can always add and improvise the seasonings and herbs as per your mood and cravings. Cheese lovers can also add parmesan to the croutons and create a sophisticated flavor in them.

You can store the leftover cooled croutons in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or if you need breadcrumbs, just grind them up coarsely and add them in any dish you like. 

So, why wait? Let’s move on to the preparation stage:

Ingredients:

• Butter - 4 tablespoons, unsalted
• Olive Oil – ½ cup (optional)
• Bread - 3 cups, Sourdough or White
• Black Pepper – 1 teaspoon, coarsely grounded
• Salt – ½ teaspoon

Directions:

• You may cut the bread into long stripes or cubes or even tear them up into small chunks.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the Butter and Olive oil in it. 
• When the Butter melts, add the torn bread cubes in it and let them sit for a few minutes so they can get golden brown on the bottom.
• Add the seasonings in it (Salt and Pepper). You may also add whatever else you like: garlic powder, dried thyme, rosemary or cheese. Stir to mix.
• Keep cooking for a total of about 10 minutes, until the croutons are crisp and slightly golden.
• The croutons are ready. Add them in your favorite salad or soup and enjoy!

Tips:

• If using salted butter, make sure not to sprinkle too much salt as a seasoning.
• Instead of adding the butter and olive oil on the skillet and then frying the croutons, you can place the bread cubes in a large, wide bowl and drizzle them with melted butter (and Olive Oil). Toss the bread evenly to coat. Then transfer to the skillet and fry till they are golden brown in color.
• To reduce the calories, you can transfer the bread cubes directly on the skillet. Brush them with some melted butter and toast them till they are crunchy.
• You can use a bread that already has a lot of flavor in it example: a Rosemary Garlic bread.
• Feel free to experiment with seasonings, start with Salt and Pepper, then progress to something stronger like garlic powder, onion powder, fresh herbs (thyme or rosemary), or dried herbs (basil or Italian seasoning).

Recommended Reading:

• Tomato Basil Soup