Copycat Panera Creamy Tomato Basil Soup - #soupswappers
This was a hard month for me when it came to selecting a recipe for Soup Saturday Swappers. The week I set about doing it, the temperatures ranged from 108° to 111°. That is not exactly soup weather. But, I was fondly remembering a recent trip to Seattle when I got adventurous and went shopping in a nearby city. I had a lovely bowl of creamy Tomato Basil Soup at Panera. It was delicious. It was really thick but it had not pureed to a silky smooth soup. It had some consistency to it which I really liked....so I decided to give it a try.
Copycat Panera Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, rough chop
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1-28 oz. can peeled tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup half and half
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt, plus additional to taste
a few twists of fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup half and half
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt, plus additional to taste
a few twists of fresh ground pepper
Garnish with any of the following:
Basil chiffonade, croutons, dollop of sour cream or dollop of pesto.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the can of tomatoes with juice, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 10-15. Stir in the butter and half and half. Add the chopped basil and stir.
Use an immersion blender or carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree the soup until there are no large chunks and at desired consistency.
Adjust the seasoning. Serve with desired garnishes.
Copycat soup recipe is the theme for this month's Saturday Soup Swappers! The Saturday Soup Swappers is a group of bloggers brought together by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm. The group gets together on the third Saturday of the month to share soups or stews based on a theme selected by one of the members. This Saturday is hosted by Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. If you are interested in joining in on the fun, follow the link above for more information. All are welcome!
Oh Kathy! That looks and sounds delicious! I love the butter in there! Can't wait to give this a try.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right...it is just not soup weather. However, I have a ton of basil in my garden and feel so guilty for not using it! This soup is the solution!!! Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck - Colleen
ReplyDeleteI just adore tomato basil soup and I love your idea of a dollop of pesto, if you don't have fresh basil! So smart! P~
ReplyDeleteI love tomato soups that have a bit of body to them! I've had this at Panera, and can't wait to try making it at home.
ReplyDeleteI love Panera soups. I haven't tried their tomato soup yet and now I can make it for myself.
ReplyDeleteI love this stuff and have tried to recreate it! Thanks for the copycat recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis soup is amazing at Panera. I cannot wait to give it a try. My husband adores tomato and basil soup.
ReplyDeleteThis is looking so gorgeous, love this tomato basil soup.
ReplyDeletePinning this to make soon! Looks wonderful and I do love Panera's soup but it's so loaded with salt I can't wait to try my own.
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