Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

I am on a total soup kick this week.  Tomato soup and I don't get along too often, but once in awhile I get a craving for it.  When it hit this time, I wanted something smooth and creamy, and not too tomato-y. I've tried a few recipes in the last few months, and they all ended up tasting like Pasta Sauce instead of Tomato Soup.  But... drum roll please... I think this recipe is the winner!  I took the guidelines from a recipe at Allrecipes.com, and then cut out a lot of the fat, and added some more spices.  I love this soup! The kids ate it with grilled cheese, and I had a BLT. Perfect!


Perfect Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (or use veggie broth!)
1 Tb Italian seasonings (or sprinkle oregano, rosemary, garlic, etc)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 finely chopped onion
3 TB butter (I cut this down from 1/2 cup!!!)
1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
6 fresh basil leaves, or 2 TB dried basil (I used a basil paste- prepared pesto would be fantastic too.)
Fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasonings, garlic, onion, and butter until boiling. Boil for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, and using a hand or immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth.  Add in cream, basil, and pepper, and put the pan back on the heat. Heat on low for 20 minutes. Do not let the soup boil! This will make the cream curdle.  Taste and add more seasonings if needed.

Serve hot with a grilled sandwich, crusty bread, or a green salad!  Enjoy!