Most people assume soup is for the winter months, but the best time for tomato basil soup is when you have fresh heirloom tomatoes to harvest. If I had to choose only two plants for my garden it would tomatoes and basil, and this soup would be the reason!
Over the past few years I’ve tried several different kinds of heirloom tomatoes and so far my favorites are Brandywines, Early Cascades and German Pinks.
While most heirloom tomato soup recipes include onions, chicken broth and garlic, this one doesn’t. I wanted a recipe that didn’t require a lot of ingredients. So here it is!
Heirloom Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
• 6 Heirloom Tomatoes
• 4 cups tomato juice
• 10 large leaves of basil
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup unsalted grass-fed butter
Instructions
1. Core the top of the tomato and peel the skin. Don’t feel like you have to peel all the skin off. If I’m in a rush, I sometimes leave the skin on since it doesn’t change the taste too much. Then quarter the tomatoes and place in a stock pot with the tomato juice over medium heat. Simmer for 30-60 minutes.
2. Add your basil leaves and the heated tomato mixture to a blender (I usually have to do two batches). If you like chunkier tomato soup, blend it for less than a minute to just break up the big chunks. You can also add in tiny chunks of tomatoes afterwards.
3. Once well blended, return the mixture to the stock pot still over medium heat. Add the heavy cream and butter. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the diary is added make sure the soup doesn’t boil!
That’s it; tasty tomato soup is yours for the devouring. I like to serve it with crackers or grilled cheese. My favorite ingredients to use for grilled cheese are, Ezekiel 4:9 bread with two slices of Muenster cheese and two slices of sharp cheddar.
Ali Lawrence is a tea-sipping writer who focuses on healthy and sustainable living via her family blog Homey Improvements. She was born and raised in Alaska and dabbles in PR, Pilates, and is a princess for hire for kid’s parties. Find her on Twitter @DIYfolks.
