Creamy Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes
Creamy tomato soup is the perfect cold weather soup, especially when you're busy because it can be made in less than 30 minutes and only has a few ingredients. This easy tomato bisque is made from canned tomatoes (San Marzano) and is the best partner to Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese, a great salad or my Parmesan Cheese Crisps.
Servings 4
Ingredients
For the Tomato Soup
- 1 cup white onion chopped finely
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup white wine cheap is good!
- 1-2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 28 oz can whole Italian tomatoes San Marzano preferred
- 1 cup half and half can use whipping cream or light cream
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
For the Parmesan Cheese Crisps
Instructions
For the Tomato Soup
- In a 3-5 quart dutch oven, saute onion in butter on medium until translucent for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until you can smell it.1 cup white onion , 1/2 cup butter, 1-2 tsp minced garlic
- Add the white wine and cook until the wine has reduced in half, about 3-5 minutes.1/2 cup white wine
- Meanwhile, puree tomatoes to desired consistency or if using, tomato puree skip this step.1 28 oz can whole Italian tomatoes
- Add tomatoes, salt and pepper to wine mixture and cook for 15 minutes. Can be made to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.1 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
- If bringing from the refrigerator, heat until warm and slowly add the cream, stirring as you add it. Once completely heated, correct for seasoning and stir in the basil right before serving.1 cup half and half, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
For the Parmesan Cheese Crisps
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.Using a tablespoon, lightly and evenly sprinkle cheese in a 3” circle on the parchment paper. You should get 3 circles across.Make sure the cheese isn’t piled or clumped together but loosely spread. It’s ok if there are small holes.1 package Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggi shredded cheese, or any combo of Parmesan, romano or any hard shredded cheese
- Once you have filled up the cookie sheet, bake the crisps for 5 minutes checking at around the 3 minute mark. You want the edges to be a golden brown.
- Cool for about 1 minute and while they’re cooling, get a butter knife or long metal icing spatula and a rolling pin.
- One at at time, gently slide the knife or spatula under the crisp and lift it off the parchment paper and lay it over the rolling pin so that it bends to the shape of the rolling pin. (My rolling pin is approximately 2” in diameter so if yours is bigger, make your crisps bigger.)
- Let the crisps set for a minute or so and remove to a cooling rack until they harden. Repeat with all the crisps. You can line your rolling pin with a few at a time.
Notes
For a smoother soup / to blend hot soup in a blender after cooking: Remove the smaller cap/plug from the blender lid. Place the lid on the blender and cover the opening with a folded dish towel to avoid any splattering. This way, the heat will be released through the towel and you won't burn yourself.
Make Ahead. This cream of tomato soup is best made the day before you plan to serve it. The next day, heat it in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through.
Reheating. Reheat in the microwave covered with plastic wrap in 30 second increments until warm. Stir between heating.
How to adjust the recipe. First, this recipe can be doubled easily. More than that gets a little tricky so I suggest just doubling it. I have quadrupled it but felt some of the taste was sacrificed. Let me know if you try it and have any suggestions.
For a few. Make the recipe as is and serve in bread bowls or with a salad for a cozy dinner.
For a crowd. Serve as shooters for an appetizer and top with mini Parmesan Crisp or garnished with a little crispy prosciutto and some extra chopped basil.
