Rich, Creamy & Made for Grilled Cheese

DOOZY DELISH™ | SOUPTEMBER™ #4
A Bowl of Awesome Awaits…

This is the tomato soup you actually want when fall starts creeping in. Rich tomato flavor, fresh basil, a little cream, and just enough garlic and seasoning to turn the childhood classic into something worth making from scratch.

And yes, grilled cheese is basically mandatory. 🥪

🛒 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed and chopped
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Serves: 6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: About 45 minutes

🍲 Directions

1. Build the base. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5–7 minutes until soft and translucent.

2. Add the flavor. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook another 1–2 minutes. Giving the tomato paste a little time in the pan deepens the flavor.

3. Let it simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, oregano, sugar, salt, black pepper and optional red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat and cook uncovered for about 20–25 minutes.

4. Make it smooth. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. You can also carefully transfer it in batches to a regular blender.

5. Make it creamy. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and fresh basil. Add Parmesan if using. Heat gently for another 3–5 minutes without bringing it to a hard boil.

6. Taste and finish. Adjust the salt and pepper and add a little more basil on top before serving.

🫎 The Doozy Tip™

Want an even richer soup? Add an extra tablespoon of butter after blending and let it melt into the soup before adding the cream.

And if your tomatoes taste particularly acidic, that’s when the teaspoon of sugar earns its keep. You’re balancing the tomatoes, not making tomato pudding. Humanity has suffered enough.

🥪 The Perfect Pairing

This one practically demands a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. Try sharp cheddar, American, provolone, or a cheddar-Gruyère combination.

Cut it diagonally, obviously. We’re not animals.

🔥 Make It Your Own

For roasted tomato basil soup, roast fresh Roma tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper before adding them to the pot.

For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.

For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth.

For extra richness, top each bowl with Parmesan, a swirl of cream, fresh basil and homemade croutons.

🧊 Leftovers

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat.

The soup can also be frozen, although for the best texture I’d freeze the tomato base before adding the cream, then add the cream when reheating.

---

🍂 Why It Belongs in SOUPTEMBER™

Some soups are meals. Some soups are comfort food. Tomato soup is basically a time machine.

A bowl of creamy tomato soup and a grilled cheese can take you straight back to childhood, except this version has enough basil, garlic and actual flavor to remind you that you’ve supposedly become an adult.

SOUPTEMBER™ #4: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

Simple. Cozy. Classic.

A Bowl of Awesome Awaits… 🍲