Creamy Tomato Basil Soup From The Berghoff Family Cookbook

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

From The Berghoff Family Cookbook: From Our Table to Yours, Celebrating a Century of Entertaining

Makes 1 1/2 quarts/Serves 6

Berghoff’s chef Matt Reichel says this is his favorite soup to make for his kids. It’s so much better than canned cream of tomato soup, and almost as easy to make as is opening a can.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart tomato-vegetable juice
2 bay leaves
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sliced fresh basil (sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips), plus extra for garnish (optional)
1 cup diced, seeded tomato
Salt and ground black pepper

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil and butter. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the juice, bay leaves, and bouillon cube, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer the soup for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Stir in the heavy cream, tablespoon of basil, and tomatoes, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot or cold. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, 1 cup per serving, garnishing with an extra sprinkling of sliced basil, if desired.