Tomato & Basil Soup

Most tomato soups boil the basil to death. This one adds it twice: a few sprigs while the tomatoes roast, then a bright raw purée stirred in at the very end.

Why the basil matters here. Basil's aromatics are volatile and heat-labile. Cooked into the pot they vanish; blended raw into oil and stirred in off the heat, they stay intact and the soup smells like a garden.

Home kitchen · 4 to 6 servings

• 2 cups Fresh basil, divided: half for roasting, half raw
• 3 lb Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 head Garlic, top sliced off
• 1 large Yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups Vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream (optional)
• to taste Sea salt and black pepper

Herb quantities are given in loose cups, not weight — a cup should look like too much before you chop it.

Method

1. 1 Roast the tomatoes, onion and whole garlic head with olive oil and half the basil sprigs at 400°F for 35 minutes, until the edges caramelize.
2. 2 Squeeze the garlic out of its skins, discard the spent basil, and blend everything with the stock until smooth.
3. 3 Return to low heat, season, and add cream if using. Keep it below a simmer from here on.
4. 4 Blend the remaining raw basil with a few tablespoons of olive oil until silky, then stir it into the pot off the heat.
5. 5 Ladle and finish each bowl with a swirl of cream, a thread of basil oil and a whole leaf.