Tomato Basil Soup with Garlic Toasts
This tomato soup gets its basil flavor from steeping rather than stirring in chopped leaves, so the herb perfumes the pot without turning it green or bitter. Tomato paste and juice give a deep base, cream softens the acidity, and a quick simmer concentrates everything. The garlic toasts are brushed with olive oil the moment they leave the toaster, so the seasoning clings to the hot bread.
Instructions
Put the tomato paste, tomato juice, cream, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, 2 tsp of the salt and 2 tsp of the pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Lower the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring from time to time, until the liquid has reduced by one third.
Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth, then keep it warm over low heat.
Toast the bread slices in a toaster oven. As soon as they come out, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder and the remaining salt and pepper. Set them aside.
Add the basil leaves to the puréed soup and let them steep over low heat for 5 minutes. Lift out and discard the leaves.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish each with a sprig of basil, and serve warm with the garlic toasts alongside.
Make it personal.
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