Healthy Tomato Basil Soup

I’ve always loved tomato basil soup, but most recipes call for too much cream. If I’m going to add that many fat calories to my day, it’s going to be with something decadent like Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. In my mind, when I’m eating something that is chalk-full of tomatoes and fresh basil, then it should be almost guilt-free.

I’ve been working on this recipe for a while, trying to balance the fresh acidity of the tomatoes with the heartiness of a cream-based soup… without most of the cream. The key to making it taste so rich is the aged Parmesan cheese. I cannot stress how important a good Parmesan cheese is to this recipe. The better the quality of Parmesan, the less you’ll need… so invest in yourself and buy an aged Reggiano Parmigiano from Italy.

The recipe calls for fresh basil, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute the basil and olive oil for a good quality jarred pesto. I really like the Kirkland brand of Pesto available from Costco. It tastes the closest to homemade pesto. Actually, this soup is the perfect Costco recipe because you can buy most of the ingredients there–the industrial-size can of tomatoes, the pesto, and the aged parmesan cheese. You can even grab a bottle of wine for your pairing. Just tell Costco I sent you!

It’s important to make this soup smooth in order to bypass most of the cream. If you have a high-quality immersion blender, you’ll save yourself a bit of hassle. If you have a cheap immersion blender, you’ll need to ladle this into a real blender to get it silky smooth. Consistency is important for this soup, so please don’t skip this step.

When I make this recipe, it makes a big batch. I typically eat the first bowl with just Parmesan and a drizzle of premium Extra Virgin olive oil. By Day Two of eating this soup, I want a little variety in my Healthy Tomato Basil Soup, so I’ll add in fresh croutons (not so healthy but very delicious), leftover chicken breast, sliced avocados, sauteed shrimp, toasted pine nuts, or bites of plain omelette. The omelette sounds funny, but think of them as spongy, protein croutons. (Scrambled eggs may seem similar but it doesn’t have the same mouthfeel as bite-sized pieces of fluffy omelette.)

When pairing wine with this, focus on the acidity in the soup, which needs an acidic wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc.

1 Large Can of Diced Tomatoes (102 ounces)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups fresh basil leaves, de-stemmed
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Fat Free Half & Half
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for garnish)
Salt & pepper to taste (about 1 tsp. of each)

Saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil in a large heavy duty stock pan. Cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and red wine.

Meanwhile, pulverize basil leaves and olive oil in a food processor. If you cannot get fresh basil leaves, substitute 1/2 cup of high-quality jarred pesto for the basil leaves and olive oil. Add basil/pesto mixture to tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and then cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. If mixture looks like it needs liquid, add 1/4 cup of water at a time and continue to simmer.

When tomatoes have turned dark red and mixture has thickened, add half & half and parmesan cheese. Add salt & pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Puree with a high-quality immersion blender or transfer mixture in stages to a stand blender. Mix until creamy smooth.

Ladle into bowls and top with 1-2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Can add fresh basil leaves, parsley or pine nuts for garnish.

​Bon Appetit!
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