Best Tomato Soup Ever
This simple yet robust tomato soup combines sautéed onions with diced tomatoes and tomato juice, expertly balanced with sugar and chicken base. Finished with a touch of cream, sherry, and fresh herbs, it yields a comforting and flavorful dish that's perfect as a main course or side.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Measuring Spoons and Cups
- 1 Ladle or Stirring Spoon
Ingredients
Main
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 6 tablespoons 3/4 stick butter
- Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
- 3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup sherry optional
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
- Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
- Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
- Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
- Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
- Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
- Serve the soup warm!
Notes
Balancing the acidity of tomatoes is paramount; always start with the lower end of sugar and taste, adjusting incrementally until the desired balance is achieved. The type and ripeness of tomatoes can significantly affect this. For the chicken base, err on the side of caution and add less initially, as it can be quite potent – you can always add more but can't remove it. To enhance richness, consider deglazing the pot with a splash of white wine after sautéing onions, before adding tomatoes. For a silkier texture, you can briefly blend a portion or all of the soup with an immersion blender before adding cream and herbs. Fresh basil and parsley are non-negotiable for the bright, aromatic finish.