Creamy Parm Tomato Soup

This creamy parm tomato soup with basil will warm you up and go perfectly with a salad or a grilled cheese sandwich. With heavy cream and parmesan cheese, it's richer than most tomato soups and is sure to satisfy you and yours.

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• Ingredient notes
• How to make it
• Expert tips
• Variations
• Recipe frequently asked questions
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• Soups & Stews

Full of flavor but easy to make this creamy tomato soup will warm you from the inside out. There is nothing like a good bowl of homemade soup on a cool day.

Many soups take all day to cook. This is one you'll have on the table in about an hour, but it tastes like it's been simmering all day.

Ingredient notes

• Olive Oil - We always used extra virgin
• Onion - We recommend a sweet onion
• Garlic - Freshly minced
• Tomatoes - Canned crushed works best, but if you have diced or even whole tomatoes you can use those. They'll be "crushed" by the blender.
• Chicken Stock - You can use broth, but stock gives the richest flavor.
• Heavy Cream - If you would like to use half-and-half just be aware it won't be as rich.
• Basil - Fresh basil leaves work best here.
• Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grated is highly recommended. The kind that comes pre-grated won't melt as well.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

How to make it

1. Heat oil to medium in a dutch oven or other deep sauce pan. Add diced onions and cook, stirring frequently for 12-15 minutes.
2. Add salt and garlic and stir while cooking for 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes, pepper, stock and basil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
4. Puree' with an immersion blender until smooth. If you don't have one you can use a regular blender but you may have to divide into two batches.
5. Stir in the parmesan and any additional salt if needed. Add the cream and stir.
6. Return to heat and stir until soup is hot before serving.

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Expert tips

• If the mixture is still quite hot after blending you will want to temper the cream. Do this by adding a little of the hot mixture to the cream and stirring. The idea is to bring the temperature of the cream up a little so it doesn't curdle when you add it.
• Save a few basil leaves for a pretty garnish.
• For easy grating of the parmesan we suggest using a rotary grater.
• Make sure your pan is deep so you don't make splatters when using the immersion blender.

Variations

• If you don't care for basil you can substitute a different herb. Thyme and oregano would both be good, but use in smaller amounts.
• For a vegetarian version use vegetable stock or broth instead of chicken.
• Try substituting one half of the parmesan with another grated cheese. Any type that melts well will work.
• Try cornbread croutons with your soup for some added texture!

Looking for the Ultimate Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich to serve with your tomato soup? This is it!

If you love this tomato goodness, you'll want to also check out San Marzano Sauce. It's as simple as can be and is made with fresh or canned San Marzano tomatoes.

Recipe frequently asked questions

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