A flavorful and comforting tomato basil soup, perfect for a cold winter day
- Carbohydrate 7.95186864930729 g
- Cholesterol 919.999998055694 mg
- Fat 185.861467683597 g
- Fiber 1.97848382945199 g
- Protein 229.741855971036 g
- Saturated Fat 53.0395008690722 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1324g)
- Sodium 879.004632794141 mg
- Sugar 5.9733848198553 g
- Trans Fat 15.8041735843421 g
- Calories 2682 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook garlic and onion in oil until onion is translucent.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook until the color is rusty.
- Pour in chicken broth, and stir in tomatoes, basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and wine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
What happens when the solids settle and the broth takes on the aromatics overnight? Soups relying on dried herbs like oregano, thyme, and marjoram often taste sharper on the second day because the botanical oils require hours to fully diffuse into the liquid base. Cooking the tomato paste until it turns a rusty hue drives out excess moisture and caramelizes the natural sugars, creating a deeper foundation before the chicken broth goes into the saucepan.
Transforming Day-Two Leftovers
Reheating this soup requires gentle heat to prevent the olive oil from separating and pooling on the surface. Adding a splash of dry white wine or fresh stock during the reheat restores volume lost to evaporation during the initial thirty-minute simmer. Freezing works well for this broth-based preparation, provided the container leaves an inch of headspace for expansion. Thaw the frozen batch overnight in the refrigerator rather than on the counter to maintain food safety standards.
- If the soup tastes too sharp upon reheating, stir in a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the canned tomatoes.
- Strain out the bay leaf before storage to prevent bitter flavor compounds from leaching into the remaining liquid over time.
- Thin excessively thick leftovers with chicken broth at a one-to-four ratio until the original pouring consistency returns.
