Our family is big on soup and this is for sure one of our favorites! In fact, Sally (age 8) asks for it on her birthday!! This soup has tomatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, fresh basil, and cream to name a few of the ingredients. Pair it with our French Bread or grilled cheese sandwiches for a complete meal. This recipe makes a large pot, perfect for a big family or for ensuring leftovers. It can easily be halved.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large onion or 2 small onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, shredded
6+ cloves of garlic, minced
(1) 32 oz box of chicken broth (reduced sodium)
(2) 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes
(2) 14.5 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
(3) 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes
(1) 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
Italian seasoning
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
In a large pot on medium heat add olive oil, onion, carrot, bell pepper, and celery. Saute until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic.
Pour in chicken broth and all the canned tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to allow simmer.
Add basil and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Let simmer for about 30 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Using an immersion blender, blend the entire pot of soup until soup has a uniform texture.
Add bay leaves and simmer for about 30 more minutes.
Slowly stir in cream. Heat through and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Top with additional fresh basil and lots of Parmesan cheese.
A word about canned tomatoes
Not all canned tomatoes are created equal. Some canned tomatoes have a crazy amount of sodium which will effect the flavor of the soup. Try and buy reduced sodium tomatoes or read the labels for the brands that have the lowest amount. I like to use a variety of brands and I will add in some “Italian Style” tomatoes as well. You can also make this soup with fresh tomatoes. I never have that many laying around 🙂
