Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe was excellent!! A restaurant near my house makes the best Tomato Basil soup, so I was looking for a recipe to imitate theirs. I would recommend only blending 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup, leaving some chuncks gives it a nice consistancy. Also pealing and seeding is not a necessity. I did it the first time and not the second time and could not tell the differece. Also if your in hurry canned tomatoes work well as a substitute. Dont skimp on the basil, thats what makes it wonderful. Overall A++ a really great soup for any occasion.

This was absolutely fabulous and my husband's new favorite! Used fresh tomatoes which makes all the difference.... added salt, pepper and garlic pepper at the end to season. Divine!

So good I nearly passed out! My husband and I had a tomato-basil soup at a restaurant here in San Antonio and I've been looking for a recipe to duplicate it...this is it! Don't fuss over peeling those tomatoes! I used 6 tomatoes on the vine and using tongs, held them by the vine in boiling water until the skins split. The skin will slip right off. Thank you, Holly, for a "keeper"!

Hubby and I really enjoyed this with our wraps and it made for a light, but satisfying meal. I blanched the tomatoes for about 30 seconds to remove the peel, but didn't bother with seeding them. And my trusty little immersion blender made quick work of pureeing this soup. Because this calls for fresh tomatoes, only the reddest and ripest should be used for best flavor. If those aren't available, it would be better to substitute canned. I made half the recipe, which was just right for the two of us (considering that hubby liked this so much he had himself a second bowl full!)

I simmered two cans of Scalfani crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and a no-salt tomato juice, and about two teaspoons of sea salt, then strained it through a china cap and pureed the daylights out of it and the basil leaves. The result at that point was a wonderfully fresh and vibrant soup. I should've stopped there. I added the butter, and slowly added the cream, stopping to taste after about 1/3 of a cup. The vibrancy of the basil was totally gone, and the zip of the tomatoes was much diminished. I stopped adding cream and added salt, pepper, and lemon juice to try to jazz up what I'd ruined. I'd suggest omitting the cream, cutting the butter in half, and increasing the basil by a third. If you insist on all the cream and butter, I'd about triple the basil.

I have made this recipe on several occasions. It is delicious. Especially while enduring the remnants of Hurricane Ida here on the east coast.

I've always wanted a recipe for La Madeleine's soup, and this is maybe even better (since I can tweak it to personal preference too)! For mine, I sauteed a couple of shallots and garlic cloves before adding the tomatoes and juice. I seeded them but didn't bother to peel them, and I replaced about a cup of the tomato juice with about 3/4 cup chicken stock and about 1/2 cup white wine. Also, I tasted the soup throughout cooking, and if you can't have cream and butter it is still a great tomato soup before you add them. I used maybe 2/3 of what was called for, but taste as you go and add what you like. Great base recipe!

It really bothers me when people rate a recipe after totally changing it. This makes perfect tomato soup exactly as written. Thanks so much for sharing it!

Yummm....I have paid $9 for a jar of creamy tomato basil soup from a popular French restaurant chain here in Houston--because it was sooo good! After making this recipe, quite easily I might add, I won't be paying $9 a jar any more. This was even better, and very creamy. I, too, needed to add a teaspoon of sugar at the end of cooking. But that could be just a difference in the tomatoes used. I used roma, and the butter I used was salted. We had a very enjoyable meal, I thank you for your recipe!!! (but my hips don't!)

I followed a few tips from past reviews and this soup turned out to be AMAZING! 1. Used a 28 oz can of diced tomatos 2. Sauted some garlic and shallots in butter (plus white wine if you have it) and added them to the tomato juice 3. Doubled the basil - you can pretty much add to taste 4. Cut the butter in half - you can always add more 5. Used a combo of half/half and whipping cream. I made two batches and thought that the combo of the two tasted the best. However, if I only could use one it would have been the whipping cream (the half/half was too "thin" not enough richness) 6. Simmer and Season!!!! Time and seasoning go a long way so don't skip them! 7. If adding to a blender - do so in smaller portions otherwise the heat/pressure will blow your top right off! 8. GOOD LUCK!!!!

I wish the author of the recipe had pointed out to let the soup cool before blending or to blend in small batches. "Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixtue" I did just that and ended up with second degree burns on my arms, even though I held the lid down on the blender and had it on low to start....Voila! Hot tomato soup everywhere...went through my thick long sleeve shirt as well as my jeans. My legs hurt but were not burned like my arms. I had enormous blisters and one year later still have scars, not to mention a tramautized teen (she knew something was wrong and when she came to help me she saw red all over a white kitchen.) Although it was painful and the kitchen was a mess I did finish making the soup. It was so amazing, that I joked it was worth the burns. Bottom line... please be safe if you don't know what can happen with hot liquid in a blender...it will blow up on you. I know it may be common knowledge but nobody ever warned me (mother or cookbooks.) I would have given this recipe 5 stars had it warned me because yes...it really is as yummy as it's ratings.

Oh my stars this is good! I used a 28oz can of roasted crushed tomatoes (with liquid) and a cup of vegetable broth because I didn't have tomato juice. I can't wait to serve this to my husband tonight.

This was really good, and after the changes I made, really healthy. Here is what I did to make 8 servings: I used 2 (28 oz) cans of whole tomatoes (undrained), I pureed them with the basil leaves (28 leaves) I skipped the tomato juice but added 1 cup of vegetable broth, added 1 Tbls of sugar, used 2 cups of fat free half-and-half instead of the heavy cream and I only used half the butter (I used 1/2 cup) I'm sure that it would have been richer with the cream but I wanted a lightened up version and this was awesome!

I have been making tomato basil soup forever now, and I modified this one to give it more depth of flavor. I sauté a minced garlic clove, and then add the tomatoes. Also, if you add a pinch of sugar, it will take out the acidic tomato-y bite of the canned tomatoes. Lastly, I add a half tsp of lemon juice and the same of balsamic vinegar to round it the flavors. Works perfect every time!

This sounds really good. I made a recipe similar to this one time for a friend and her husband. It gave them heartburn!! I did use cream cheese in place of the cream and had good results. If you plan on eating this...make sure you take the TUMS with you to bed.

SOOOO, this recipe was good...but i have made some major revisions!! If you like thicker more hearty soup, then listen here. Take and onion, about 8-10 tomatoes (medium size) and a entire clove of garlic(all of them when they are attached) and turn your broiler on. Take the tomatoes, onion, whole garlic and broil for about 10-15 minutes...the garlic might need to be in alittle longer. Now, take all the vegtables out and they should be black on top. For the onion, you can cut it in half with flat side down-skin side up. They should all be black on top. PEEL THE skin off the tomatoes and the onion. Squeez the garlic out of their skins, tomatoes and onions, then basil leaves,then add cream....PUREE! When its all mixed together then add to your pot and simmer. It might be a little hearty, if you don't like that, then strain to whatever consistency you want. I guarentee this will be the best soup you have ever had!! I did not use tomatoe sauce, basically I made this recipe from scratch. By broiling the fresh vegtables, it makes a huge difference in the flavor of this soup.

Here in Florida we have CRISPERS restaurants and they too have Tomato Basil soup. This recipe beats even theirs, and they have AWESOME soup! I splurged and went to an Italian market for canned tomatoes from Italy. I did not seed them but wished I had. Even though the tomatoes get puree'd, I think it made it a LITTLE bitter, thus my addition of sugar. I put the mixture in a blender and went to town, but I do NOT recommend doing that. It comes out like V-8. The second time I made this I left it slightly chunky and it was alot better (more flavor). This is my first time using any fresh herb, and I was hesitant to use so many basil leaves. But the 2nd batch I used even MORE leaves than the recipe calls for! The basil makes this soup. Don't forget most store-bought fresh herbs come from other countries so wash, wash, wash. This is truly an awesome recipe.

This recipe is a keeper. Husband and kids approved, and hubby hates tomatos. Didn't change a thing and it came out great. Very easy too!

This is the best soup EVER!! My friends demand it every time they visit. I only put half the butter in because it tends to make a film on top, but it is otherwise perfect. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!!!!!!

This recipe is so awesome and came out tasting exactly like some gourmet tomato soup I had recently at a popular restaurant! I'm a college student with a limited budget and this soup was so easy and cheap to make. I used canned tomatoes and dry basil instead of fresh and it turned out amazing. Also I used 1/2 cup of whipping cream and 1/2 the butter. Thanks Holly for this great recipe!!

This soup was pretty darn good. I wouldn't say its the best ever, but really really good. I did have to use dried basil flakes, due to my grocery store being out of fresh basil. I did follow other's suggestions, and boil the tomatoes to take the skin off more easily. I also added a little sugar to take away some of the acidity. Next time I will use fresh basil, and I think it will be excellent!!

I had to give this recipe five stars, even though I did agree with the other reviews about making it chunkier. I only pureed about half the tomatoes but it was still too smooth. However, it is STILL five stars because the recipe itself is amazing! I used more basil (17 or so leaves) but I still will use more next time, I LOVE basil. I also added a clove of minced garlic to the tomatoes while simmering. This is one of my favorite soups and I have tried lower-fat versions before. I will no longer even bother, this is IT!!! Yes, it's high in calories and fat....BUT, fat is not the evil we once thought it to be....this soup is great for low-carb dieters. If you do not have cholesterol issues, there's really nothing wrong with it! This is a filling and delicious soup that is a good source of vitamins, protein, and calcium!

Really, really good! Added one more tomatoe and one more cup of juice just to make more. No need to puree! Taste perfect being chunky.

I used this recipe with my high school culinary students. I cut the butter down to 2 tablespoons and used half and half instead of heavy cream. I also added two teaspoons of sugar to cut the tartness of the tomatoes we used (not ripe enough!) and it was divine. The students loved it and have asked to make it again.

BIG fan of tomato soup here, and I've made this soup several times and like it much better than recipes containing broth. However, I always felt something was missing and that the butter made it a little too greasy. I experimented around, and here are additions that I think really give it a little more interest: substitute the butter with 1/4 cup olive oil, add 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup chopped onion, and 2 cloves chopped garlic. This seemed to add the perk that I was looking for. In the future, I will try adding bacon as suggested by another user. I bet that's the bomb! Another tip: if you are trying to get your kids to eat their carrots, you could add a carrot in this and no one will ever know. ;-)

This soup is absolutely fabulous. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because as a garlic lover I think it needs some. The first 5 or so times I've made it I've used fresh tomatoes but the last few times I've used large cans of petite diced, I can't tell a difference in taste and it really cuts down on the prep time so I think I'll stick with it.

This soup came out great!!! Word of advice: Puree the tomatoes before putting them in the pot to simmer!!! DO NOT PUREE THE HOT TOMATO MIXTURE!!! I did this the first time I made this and even after I let it cool a little, the heat from the mixture in the closed blender caused the hot tomato mixture to explode! It got all over the walls and burned me! Other than that, this is a great recipe! The fresh basil is an absolute MUST!

Excellent!! I just made this soup and it came out perfect. I used 2 28oz cans whole tomatoes with the juice and skipped the fresh tomatoes and juice. I added about 20 basil leaves, a pinch of sugar, 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 stick of butter. I will definetly make this again.

I loved this soup. My SO said it tasted like liquified manicotti, but still ate two bowls. :-) I added somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon of sugar to the tomatoes while they cooked. It was very easy to make and tasted like it was from a fancy restaurant.

Wow, this was great! I've made it twice in the last week, and my family can't get enough of it! Like other reviewers, I did substitute 2 cans diced tomatoes and 1 Tbsp. dried basil, and it still tasted wonderful. Since I used the canned tomatoes, I reduced the tomato juice to 2 cups, and also simmered some minced garlic and onion with the tomatoes and juice before pureeing with the basil. I used the full amount of butter and cream, and then added some sugar to taste along with the salt and pepper. Five stars!

I made this tonight as I was looking for some comfort food, this was absolutely delicious! I just used 2 quart jars of my canned tomatoes in their juice instead of the fresh tomatoes and juice. My husband and son were very pleased with it, as was I. I did use half and half and it turned out just fine. I paired this with grilled cheese that had cooked bacon and sliced tomatoes in between the cheese slices.

This soup was so gourmet. I absolutely loved it. After I heated the tomatoes and tomato juice for 30 mins I then added about a cup of the mixture to a blender (to maintain the remaining minced tomatoes in the pot for a chunky texture), pureed it with the basil, and then added back to the soup mixture. Don't blend the basil too long because the chunkier the better for the presentation (proves that it is fresh vs. dried basil). I also added 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, about half the amount of butter, and only used a half of a cup of cream. Top with a sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan cheese and a couple of small basil leaves for an added touch.

This soup was amazing! We ate it up. I did change a few things 1) I sauteed a little garlic and half of an onion in extra virgin olive oil for about 5 minutes, 2) I added two big cans of chopped tomatoes and a large portion of basil leaves and brought them to a boil, reduced the heat and simmered for an hour 3) I didn't have any tomato juice, but I did have to add some veggie stock. 4) Instead of heavy whipping cream I used fat free half and half. There is no doubt that the heavy cream tastes better, but it also adds a tremendous amount of fat to a delicious meal--the fat free half/half tastes great, there is just a definite difference. I also added just a few tablespoons of reduced fat butter. My boyfriend and I ate it up with grilled cheese sandwiches.

This was very good and flavorful. To more easily peel the tomatos, put them in boiling water for a minute or so and then immediately put them in ice water. The skin will slide off.

This soup is restaurant quality even with the changes I made. Tomatoes on the vine and fresh basil are a little pricey where I live so I decided to buy fresh basil and use three 15oz cans crushed tomatoes. I completely forgot the tomato juice but I think the juice from the canned tomatoes worked just fine. I sauteed chopped sweet onion and minced garlic in about a tablespoon of olive oil before adding the tomatoes. I used half and half instead of cream and only used 1/4 cup butter. I also added a couple of teaspoons sugar because the soup was a little acidic and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for spice. I had soup and sandwiches for lunch all week long and loved it. I'll be making another pot of soup on Monday.

This is a good basic recipe so I'm giving it 4 stars, but it's not getting 5 because there's no reason that this soup needs all that butter and cream. It's listed as having 45 grams of fat per serving, for goodness' sake! And for the author to suggest that it won't taste good if you make substitutions is just silly. Fat isn't the only way to introduce flavor into food. Since it's the middle of winter, I didn't bother with fresh tomatoes. I used 2-28oz cans of whole tomatoes, seeded the tomatoes and reserved the juice (this gave me plenty of juice without having to use extra). I lightly sprinkled the seeded tomatoes with brown sugar and roasted them on a baking sheet for half an hour while the reserved juice simmered on the stove. I blended the roasted tomatoes with the basil (I added about 1 cup of juice from the pot to make it easy to blend), added that to the remaining juice with a combination of condensed skim milk and heavy cream (3/4 cup of milk to 1/4 cup of cream), 3 tbsp of butter instead of the whole stick, and salt and pepper to taste. I served it with homemade honey oat bread and it was a fantastic soup - without the extra 30 or so grams of fat!

I am sorry to say that this soup is way to heavy on the cream,butter and basil. They all need to be cut in in half. This is a good starting point if your looking to creat your own tomato soup. This is my opinion but this soup does not tast like tomatos. Just cream and butter.

Absolutely awesome recipe! Don't cut down on the butter or cream, as they really make the soup! Fresh basil is a must!!! Also, if you love basil, then add extra!

I took others advice & also my own "tweaking": fried a few slices of bacon; crumbled it and put on top of ea. serving; used fat free 1/2 & 1/2 (1 cup), substituted 4 T. of I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray inst of 1 c. butter; added 1 can paste & substituted 2 qts.homemade canned tomatoes. Yummy & LOW fat! Husband loved it. A "keeper"

Wonderful tomato soup!Very fresh tasting and rich. This recipe is almost identical to "La Madeleine's" recipe which ran in a Fort Worth,Texas newspaper several years ago. It stated to use 4 cups chopped tomatoes, 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper, and listed lemon juice as optional. I used 4 large tomatoes which gave me the 4 cups I needed.I also added 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper and just a touch of lemon juice.Perfect!!!Thank you for sharing the recipe!

I'm not sure how to rate this because I modified it considerably and it was perfect. I didn't peel or seed the tomatoes, I omitted the butter entirely and added only a few spoons of cream and it was light, and tasted like fresh tomatoes, not cream.

While the chef is correct, substitutions will take away from the quality of the soup, let's just go ahead and admit that 45 grams of fat in one serving of soup is excessive. Of course a splurge here and there won't hurt! BUT...for those of us who are always battling a bulge, or like me (pregnant and craving creamy tomato basil soup), substituting fat free half and half and adding a quarter cup of sugar works. As a matter of fact, it's pretty spectacular. (I kept the butter). No, not as rich and tasty as the real thing, but my arteries and butt are thanking me for concocting a heart friendlier version that I would gladly serve to friends and family.

YUMMY! The only change I made was to use 1/4 cup of butter instead of 1/2 cup- that just seemed like too much. I may cut down on the cream next time too. But this was sooo good and rich! I used tomatoes from the farmer's market, and basil from my plant. I used 30 leaves because mine were small. Served with focaccia bread from this site. So good! Oh, I didn't peel or seed the tomatoes...I removed some seeds, but not all. The blender takes care of all of that! ;)

I love this soup!!! I'm not a big fan of pureed soups so I leave the skin on the tomatoes and skip the food processor step, that way they stay together and add substance to the otherwise thin soup. My husband like meat in his soups so I just brown some hamburger with garlic & basil & pour the soup over the meat for him. I just like it with a fresh baguette. mmm mmm mmmmmm!

Very tasty soup. Would make again. Next time I might top it with cheesy croutons for a classic tomato soup and grilled cheese taste.

I altered the recipe and used one 28oz crushed tomatoes and 3, 14oz diced tomatoes including the juice from all. No tomato juice needed. I added 2 cans of tomato paste as well. I blended 1 can of the diced tomatoes, fresh basil, 3/4 of an onion and 2 cloves of garlic and added that to the tomatoes. I also added 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, cut back on the cream by 1/2 cup and only added 1/4c butter. It was AMAZING!!! I broiled some provolone cheese on a baguette and everyone was raving about dinner tonight. Cannot wait for leftovers tomorrow.

This was my first attempt at soup; made this last week with some grilled cheese croutons--basically made a grilled cheese, cut it up into 16 squares, baked for a bit, and served them in the soup--and received rave reviews. Per other reviewers, did not peel tomatoes first but that jammed up my immersion blender; will peel next time. Thanks to OP and other reviewers.

EXCELLENT SOUP! We used half the amount of butter so it wouldn't be so fattening, and it was still incredibly rich. Next time, we might use less cream as well. Otherwise, it was perfect with crusty bread. Very filling and perfect for a cold winter night. The perfect comfort food.

What an incredible recipe! I ate this as soup, but it would also be wonderful as a sauce over pasta or chicken. This is just as good as any restaurant soup, if not better. Edit--I finally experimented with using this soup as a sauce over chicken and pasta and it worked out wonderfully. The difference between using fresh vs. canned tomatoes is negligable compared to the amount of work that goes into peeling and seeding the fresh ones. I bought canned, whole, skinless tomatoes the last time I made it and they were fine.

We really enjoyed this soup. Had lots of tomatos so went looking for a way to use them. I pureed the basil and a few of the tomatos but left some in chunks. I just couldn't add a 1/2 cup butter. Felt guilty adding the 1/4 cup that I did. But ...oh it adds such nice flavor. I plan on making this, up to adding the cream and butter, then freeze it. Thaw it out and add cream and butter. Think that will work out and take care of some more of these tomatos. .....Last year I made this up to adding the cream (i use milk cuz I never have cream on hand......bet it would even be better with cream!). I then canned it in quart jars. Has worked great. Love being able to grab a jar and just heat and eat.

If you enjoy the Basil Tomato Soup from Le Madelaine, you'll love this one. I was super pleased with the outcome. I served it on a cold day with some warm corn bread mmmmmmmm yummy!!!!

Really delicious. I thought it may need a little something, something... so I sauteed about a half a cup of sweet onions in a little butter before adding the tomato juice and tomatoes to simmer. I used organic tomatoes which are generally a little smaller and so I used a few more. The recipes calls for the tomatoes to be peeled and seeded. WHY? The nutritional value is in the skin and if you puree no need to worry about the extra step. I also used organic half and half instead of heavy cream, Ok I admit I was trying to cut a few of the calories without sacrificing too much of the rich flavor and it was a success. My guests raved and want the recipe!! Here you go Jules

I love this recipe because it's easy to make, but it tastes just like the recipe at a high end restaurant I used to work at. To make it more of a meal, I add 1 lb. of shredded cooked chicken breast and serve it over riso pasta. I also use fat-free half and half instead of heavy cream to make it lighter.

The flavor was excellent, but I thought the soup could have been thicker. I think that I'll cut back the tomatoe juice by a cup next time.

Holly, This was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!! I read most all of the reviews and decided to make the recipe just as it is. When it came to the point to add the heavy whipping cream and butter, I thought maybe that was too much butter. And I never skimp on the butter, but after the cream was stirred in and the butter was half melted, it tasted perfect, so I took out half the butter. I also added a pinch of sugar b/c my tomatoes were not that sweet. I will most definitely make this again!!!!

This was delicious. I did make a few changes though. I used a large can of whole peeled tomatoes (these I seeded. I have made this soup a couple times in the past and leaving the seeds in makes for bitter bites.) I also added a can of diced tomatoes for good measure. I used whole milk instead of cream because of what I had in the fridge. And I used dried basil instead of fresh. It really came out spectacular. With a grilled cheese sandwich? Nothing better.

I didn't want to mess with peeling tomatoes, so I used two cans of whole peeled tomatoes(It is more than the recipie called for but it worked). I drained, seeded and diced them before adding them to the juice. I also added garlic (~3 cloves) and some basil to the toms and juice per another review. It was so easy and fabulous. I added it to my favorite list.

This is a very quick recipe for such a savory soup. I did make the lower cal/fat version by using light whipping cream and low sodium tomato juice...I couldn't even tell the difference. Also, I like my soup a little more chunky so I only pureed 1/2 of the soup. And fresh basil is a must!

Best. Recipe. Ever.

This is La Madeleine's recipe as well. It is excellent! It makes way more than 4 servings though and can be difficult to manage in such a large quantity. I always cut the recipe in half and use canned crushed tomatoes if the real ones are not in season. Good tomatoes can make the difference in a good soup.

Great soup, once I didn't have tom. juice and another I didn't have whipping cream. I searched for substit: 1 C Wh. cream= 1/3 c melted butter + 3/4 c milk. Since others commented on richness the site also gave a sub for 1 C light wh.cream - 3 Tbl. melted butter +3/4 milk. (light version was plenty rich enough) 3 C of Tomato juice = 2 1/2 c h2O + 6 oz tomato paste. When I used the substit. the recipe still came out great tasting!

I use evaporated milk instead of cream; reduces fat and gives the soup a thick and creamy consistency - try it you'll be surprised how good it is. Got this trick from a French restaurant.

Yum!

This is delicious.......I made it just as the recipe states first. The second time I added 2 cloves of garlic - crushed and a few dashes of tabasco. Unbelievable!!!

WOW. Despite all the good reviews, I was hesitant to make this recipe because it seemed too simple. I am sure glad I made it though, it is by far the best tomato soup I've had. Unsalted butter worked very well, I'd recommend using that. The whole thing took under an hour to make! I will definitely be making this again, maybe on a weekly basis!

I am not a big soup fan, but this one I love!! It came out perfect, unfortunately this time I didn't have fresh basil so I used dried but I don't think it even needs it. I didn't puree the tomatoes completely. I love that tomato taste it has. With the right amount of salt and pepper in it. Its amazing!!!!!! Definitely a keeper and will start eating it more often :D

Love this version. I usually use half and half instead of full fat cream and the taste is just as remarkable! This time I cut the butter by 4 Tbls and omitted the cream altogether. I intended on using 1% as a test, but it tasted so good and was a great texture already, I just stopped right there. I didn't add any salt but the tomatoes from a can have some and then my butter had some so it was borderline too much. You may consider using no salt butter instead. Thanks Marbalet!

This is marvelous. I topped each serving with a few shreds of Parmesan cheese, along with a sprinkling of the fresh basil. It was a hit!

This soup is the best tomato soup I have ever tasted. Be sure to use nice tomatoes (I use vine-ripened tomatoes). The fresh basil gives this soup its wonderful flavor. If you love basil you will love this soup. I pureed about 1/2 of the soup instead of all of it, which was perfect. I read other reviews and reduced the butter to 1/4 cup and the cream to 1/2 cup. Thank you for the recipe, it is 100 times better than anything you get in a can.

Oh. My. Goodness. This soup is to die for! Whenever I make it, I have to hand out the recipe left and right. It is kind of hard to understand how much basil to use exactly because the leaves are all different sizes. If you puree it separately with a little tomato juice, you can add it to taste separately.

OMG. I have been a huge fan of LaMadeleine's Tomato Basil for a while, but this blem theirs out of the water. Outstanding!

I read reviews and had high hopes for this soup. I made it as as described, but sauted 2 cloves garlic and 2 shallots in 1tbsp butter first (as previous reviewers suggested). I thought it tasted like tomato juice with basil and cream. I like to control the amount of salt in recipes, and there is just too much salt in tomato juice. I made this again, but instead of tomato juice, I used 4 cups of canned tomatoes (no salt added). Because you blend it at the end, it has a thick consistency but tastes so much better (you can add more salt at the end depending on your preferences).

This is a wonderful recipe for a great tasting and easy to prepare soup. I'm always looking for recipes that I can throw in the crock pot and this one is easily done to accomodate that. I took the advice of another reviewer and sauteed about a half of a large vidalia onion with olive oil, and one clove of fresh garlic and added some white wine once the onion was translucent. I then added the basil that I had chopped for the last 2 minutes of sauteeing. I pureed this all together with the remaining ingredients. I used one can 28 oz diced tomatoes in place of the fresh tomatoes. Much easier for me! The result was a rich, tangy and satisfying soup. Next time I will add some crushed red pepper to the onion mixture before pureeing for a bit of a bite. This is a great soup and you can easily adjust the recipe to suit your own taste.

Good recipe... Hard to peel the skins just keep them on

I have made this several times now following the recipe exactly and it is fantastic! The first couple of times I did not peel the tomatoes but my Ninja blender always left some peel behind so now I peel and it is much better. So unless you have a Vitamix, I would recommend peeling. Several people have mentioned it being fattening but I live a low carb lifestyle and have lost 22 lbs while enjoying this delicious soup! I always use fresh ingredients. I might have to try using organic canned tomatoes though so I can have it more often as peeling and seeding can be time consuming. UPDATE: It's equally fantastic and much less time consuming using canned tomatoes (I used fire roasted) and a hand held immersion blender.

Delicious soup. Next time I'll reduce the cream and butter.

This soup was GREAT!! I will definitely make it again. Next time I will: Add onion, and garlic. Also, I will HALVE THE BUTTER. I made the recipe exactly as stated the first time (well, I doubled the recipe and tripled the tomatoes-- also used fresh "on-vine" from Safeway... best I could afford). It was so rich, and we felt guilty with the almost 50g of fat per bowl! I think the soup will be just as good with half the butter, and next time I will try half the cream as well. This is a KEEPER!

Really good, although I did make a few adjustments and will probably make more in the future. First, I used 2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes (undrained) as per another reviewer's suggestion. That worked out fine, and I'll probably make the soup that way even when it isn't winter. Secondly, I cut down on the butter by about half, and I might cut it even further next time. Lastly, the soup was a little too creamy for my tastes (I like my tomato soup more red than pink) so next time I might just use half-and-half or reduce the amount of heavy cream. I also doubled the basil. Otherwise, excellent!

This is a great basic tomato soup recipe. I don't really like creamy dishes, so I should've skipped the last step. However, the soup prior to the addition of butter and cream was excellent. I will make it like that for now on. Thank you.

Wasn't impressed by this recipe at all. It was WAY too creamy and heavy. Followed recipe exactly. Disappointing.

Waaay to rich as the recipe is. You must modify to make it better. Do as others say, cut the cream in half, add more basil, be careful with your salt and make sure that you have in-season ripened tomatoes to make this good.

This is Very good. Fresh ingredients are absolutely the best, however, I have made this with canned whole tomato's (already peeled, had to seed) and dried basil and it is still SO good. Thx Holly!

This was the BEST soup I have ever made. My husband says its the best tomato soup in the world. Highly recommended.

After reading everyone else's reviews, I expected this to be a good soup, but what I got was beyond any expectations!!! This soup was amazing! Simple to make, but at the same time it looks and tastes like I must have spent hours working on complicated steps. I was trying to replicate a soup that had chunks of tomato in it, so I only pureed half of the tomato mixture with the basil. The only part of making this soup that seemed at all tedious was peeling and seeding the tomatos. Next time I'll probably try it with canned tomatos since vertually all of the "freshness" gets cooked out of them anyway. Thanks holly for a wonderful recipe! I'll probably be making this regularly now, and I've even considered starting to grow basil.

I made this for my boss and his wife who requested a tomato basil soup for dinner, I accompanied the soup with Parmesan crisps, and French baguette -this meal got many raves - they said it was something that you would be served in a fine dining restaurant. ( and they would know) I did not change a thing followed the recipe to a T, try it you will not be disappointed.

To peel tomotoes, score bottom, place in boiling water for 30 sec and then place in cold water. I used half-and-half instead of the cream, and only used 1/4 cup butter. It turned out great. UPDATE: I double this recipe all the time. I use two cans of large diced tomatoes to save time on peeling. Still tastes wonderful. This is in our regular weekly line-up for dinners.

Ouch. I burnt myself 3 times making this soup. Honestly, I didn't like the flavor of the soup anyways. I followed the recipe and tried to puree the soup and it splattered..OUCH..three times. Regardless of that I would MUCH rather have a can of Campbell's made with heavy whipping cream MUCH CREAMIER AND BETTER.

Terrific recipe! I used 1/2 of the butter and 1 large can of Cento San Marzano whole tomatoes and this soup came out perfect. The San Marzano tomatoes are expensive but well worth it.I will definitely make this soup again. It truly deserves 5 stars.

Even though Holly told us not to, I substituted half & half for heavy cream; and used half the quantity of butter. I'm too old to be able to get rid of that fat that will gather at my belly. :-) I also added a garlic clove. That said, this soup is just great. I lived in Texas for awhile and there is a great small chain restaurant there called La Madeleines that serves the best tomato basil soup ever! And this is right up there with it. I served this with shredded parmesan and caesar croutons. Divine! Thanks for sharing this with us, Holly!

Made garlic naan with this soup - delish! I bought Target's tomato juice and used fresh ground pepper and sea salt. If you don't have an immersion blender, then ladle into a blender. You'll have to double the recipe, because it will be lapped up in no time! I generously poured the cream, and used the full stick of butter, and didn't find it too rich. The kick comes from the basil, which in my case, was fresh picked and quite minty. It is just tart enough to remind you it has a load of vitamin C, but still be enjoyable. BTW - don't follow the advice of the reviewers who put the entire tomato without removing the seeds, unless you like chewing through seed pieces in every spoonful.

I made this recipe yesterday for a client for my catering business and she absolutely loved it. Will definitely put this on my menu. Thanks

Used slightly less butter. Added 1/4 onion and 1 large clove of garlic and red pepper flakes. Very good!

I love tomato soup and this was better than any kind I had from the restaurant. I like it chunky so after accidentally blending all the tomatoes I added a can of chopped tomatoes and it was delicious. I also couldn't find fresh basil so I just used dry basil and it was still great!

In a word: sensational! I love the perfect tomato basil soup and this fit the bill in terms of flavor and richness. I don't care about the whipping cream and butter, some things are just worth it. And this soup is!

Very good! Tasted alot like a popular french restaurant!

LOVE THIS! I used fat free half and half in place of the heavy cream... Was fantastic! I don't even want to know what it tastes like with the heavy cream because I don't need the fat/calories. So if I'm happy with it made with FF 1/2 & 1/2 so be it. Also the family loved it with grilled cheese sandwiches. The youngest complained but he is the pickiest! My hubby, 3 sons & myself love this! Will make this a couple times a month in the winter! Thanks!

This is the best type of recipe. In my experience, simple ingredients of the highest quality produce the very best results, and that is what is offered here. This soup, therefore, is best when fresh local organic tomatoes that are allowed to ripen on the vine are used, because the dominant taste comes from the tomatoes. However, sometimes one just can't wait for summer for tomato basil soup! When I must use canned or tinned tomatoes, I add the seasoning mix that one typically adds to pork to make italian sausage, which takes the edge off the "tin" flavor and really beefs up the texture and feel of the soup. Thank you, Marbalet- what a wonderful recipe!

I loved the idea of a creamy tomato soup at home that is similar to my fave luncheon hot spot, wthout the price! Your recipe was a great start for me, but I wasn't able to make it to the grocer for fresh tomatos and wanted to make it a bit healthier. I'm certain the recipe is wonderful as-is, but I deviated quite a bit: I used a large (dbl) can of diced tomato, 1 can of tomato soup. I cooked on med-low for 30 min, then pureed in the blender. I then returned to pan and whipped in 1/2 c of whipping cream, 1/4 c of 2% milk, 1/4 tsp of basil, 1/4 tsp of minced garlic, and a dash of crushed red pepper. I cooked it for about 30 more mins. on med-low. It served the 3 of us well and my boyfriend excitedly took the leftovers to work the next day. He wants to know when I'll be making it again!

I thought I hated tomato soup until I tried this recipe. It's delicious!! So flavorful and beats that nasty Campbell's any day.