Best Tomato Soup

If there's one thing I'm tired of, it's the notion that tomato soup is somehow just a mediocre backup singer for a grilled cheese sandwich. So with this recipe, I’m pulling the tomatoes (three types, in fact) into the spotlight and making them exceptional. If you’ve never made homemade tomato soup before, now is the time—you certainly won’t find anything like this in a can.

Many typical tomato soup recipes begin by cooking down sliced onions and maybe a little garlic for the base; however, when I was developing this recipe, I took a cue from chef Neal Harden whom I worked for at vegetarian restaurant abcV in New York, whose tomato soup is (still!) the best I have ever tasted. He cooks down fennel and celery in addition to the onion to form a complex, aromatic base for the tomatoes. And although many of my current coworkers were skeptical—particularly about the fennel—they all agreed that the vegetables melded seamlessly into the soup and actually intensified the flavor of the tomato.

How To Make Homemade Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS

• Tomatoes: This recipe is likely most distinct from most tomato soup recipes in that it uses three different iterations of tomato: tomato paste, canned whole tomatoes, and canned tomato juice. Sautéing tomato paste with the cooked-down vegetables until it becomes deeply caramelized intensifies the sweetness of the tomato, adding a richness that almost mimics the flavor of an oven-roasted tomato. And using tomato juice to thin out the soup instead of chicken stock or water (which many recipes call for) ensures that the tomato flavor continues to shine through, undiluted.
• Unsalted Butter: At its core, tomato soup is creamy and luxurious, hence why I like to build all the flavor with plenty of unsalted butter at the foundation, which also allows me to adjust the salt level as I cook.
• Celery, Fennel & Yellow Onion: Like many other soup recipes, I use a sort of “trinity” that I think works especially well with tomatoes. Celery adds a punch of savoriness, fennel adds aromatic sweetness, while yellow onion adds a rich, caramelized flavor. Think of these as “shine theory” for your soup.
• Light Brown Sugar: Yes, you’re reading this correctly. I am asking you to add brown sugar to your soup. But for good reason! This will help balance the acidity of your soup, while also adding a bit of depth and richness as the tomatoes cook down.
• Heavy Cream: Adding heft and a touch of decadence, heavy cream is the final magic act that transforms this into a tomato soup a grilled cheese would be honored to be dipped into.
• Fresh Basil: Not just a cute garnish, fresh basil plays off the sweet, herbiness of the fennel. If you’ve got extra time, I also like to puree it into a basil oil for drizzling on top of the soup.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Where there’s richness (in the form of cream and butter), there should also be a bit of spice to cut through it all—a little goes a long way when it comes to crushed red pepper flake, so be sure to taste before adding more.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot over medium heat, melt your butter, then add the celery, onion, fennel, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture is softened and translucent, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until darkened, which will take about 2 minutes. Then add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

At long last, it’s Tomato Time. Add the whole tomatoes with their juices, tomato juice, and brown sugar to your pot. Bring to a simmer, mashing down on tomatoes with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to break into large pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, for about 10 minutes. Next, remove the pot from heat and let cool slightly for about 5 minutes; this is so the soup is not scalding hot when you're pureeing (where you might get a bit in the Splash Zone).

Now, you’ll transfer half of the tomato mixture to a standard blender and blend until smooth (or use an immersion blender and puree directly in the pot). Pour the blended soup into a large bowl and repeat with remaining tomato mixture until fully pureed. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Cook the soup over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until warmed through (do not let it boil); season with the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. salt.

Once heated through, divide your soup among bowls, drizzle with cream and top with basil.

Full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

This tomato soup is great the day it’s made, but it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating it in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, but if you want to use the microwave, stop and stir every 30 seconds so the soup heats evenly and doesn’t start to boil around the edges. Too much aggressive heat will change the soup’s flavor—and this is one tomato soup that’s too good to ruin on the reheat.