Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Sherry

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Sherry

This soup is top shelf.  You will love it. Your spouse will love it.  Your sisters and brothers will love it.  Your great Aunt Adrienne will love it.  Your kids probably won't love it, but all your friends will.  Take it.  Make it. And when you sit down and take a moment to savor that first spoonful of creamy tomato basil soup on a blustery, rainy day, your heart will be light with sillyness and you won't believe that you made something this good.  You will be eternally grateful you found this web site and your family will be too.  The pictures even look good which means that it's amazing in real life!  Now, let's hop to it! 

By the way, I have made this soup over and over again and tested it with vegetable stock too.  It adds a depth of flavor which I found wonderful. The cream and sherry at the end really is what sets it apart from other tomato soups.....you know, those other drab ones.  And do use lots of pepper.  C'mon, no holding back.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Sherry

Get out your dutch oven and place it over a burner on your stovetop set on medium heat.

A couple swirls olive oil

1 T. butter

1 small yellow onion diced

1 large clove garlic

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

6 oz. tomato paste
1 t. sugar
1 t. Italian spice blend (trio of oregano, basil and parsley)

3 C. water

2 t. beef bouillon paste or 2 beef bouillon cubes

3/4 C. sherry

3/4 C. whipping cream

1 healthy bunch basil, chiffonade

salt and lots of pepper

In a dutch oven, add the olive oil and butter and melt over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook three minutes.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper.  Cook for one minute more.  Add can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, beef boullion paste and sugar and italian spices.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes.  Turn off heat, add sherry, whipping cream, basil, salt and pepper.  Blend and serve in warmed bowls.