I”ve been looking for a good tomato soup recipe for FOREVER. Nothing beats tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch on a rainy day (and we”ve been having plenty of those lately). But, most of the homemade tomato soups I”ve made in the past were extremely flavourless and left much to be desired.
I wanted something quick, that I would actually make for lunch spur of the moment, but I also wanted it to be so flavourful that I wasn”t wishing for something different. This recipe knocked it out of the park for me. I”ve made it so many times since I first found the recipe – more than any recipe for a long time. It”s made with all pantry staples that I keep on hand, so it can be made at any time.
This isn”t a runny soup, it”s thick and dip-able, almost like a marinara. We like to make grilled cheese and cut it into sticks for dipping. It”s so flavourful it”s actually kind of hard to eat on its own. But that”s not something to complain about. Give me some grilled cheese sticks to use like spoon and I”m set!
Marinara-Style Tomato Soup
The baking soda in this recipe helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced finely
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (32 oz.) can pureed (or crushed) tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teapsoon salt
- pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- milk or water, to desired thickness
- sour cream, to serve (optional)
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add onion; cook until tender. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, baking soda, parsley, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Stir in basil and honey. Add milk (or water) to desired thickness. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Makes: 4 small servings
Adapted from Food Doodles.