Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto Swirl (Printable)

A silky tomato soup elevated with a swirl of fresh basil pesto. Vegetarian, Italian-inspired, and ready in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Soup

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2.2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes)
05 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
06 - 3 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/3 cup heavy cream

→ Basil Pesto

11 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
12 - 1/4 cup pine nuts, or walnuts
13 - 1 small garlic clove
14 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth, add sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - While soup simmers, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until smooth consistency is achieved. Season with salt.
06 - Once soup is cooked, blend until smooth using an immersion blender or process in batches with a countertop blender.
07 - Stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Warm through without boiling.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with a swirl of basil pesto and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pesto swirl transforms ordinary tomato soup into something that feels restaurant special without any fuss.
  • It comes together in under an hour and fills your kitchen with the kind of warmth that makes people linger.
  • You can make it vegan or dairy free and it still tastes like comfort in a bowl.
02 -
  • If you blend hot soup in a regular blender, leave the lid slightly ajar and cover with a towel or the pressure will blow the top off.
  • Add the cream after blending and keep the heat low, boiling it will make the soup grainy instead of smooth.
  • The pesto can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it bright green.
03 -
  • If your tomatoes are not very sweet, add an extra pinch of sugar to balance the acidity instead of trying to fix it with more salt.
  • Blend the soup longer than you think you need to, a truly smooth texture makes all the difference.
  • Swirl the pesto with the back of a spoon in a circular motion for that beautiful restaurant look.
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