With its rich tangy flavor and lovey combination of creamy and chunky, this tomato carrot soup is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Recipe yield 4 servings (1 ¼ each).
¾ -1 teaspoonsalt, or to taste (and depending on the broth used)
5-6fresh basil leaves, or more if you wish
Instructions
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes.
Next add the garlic, Italian herbs and chili flakes, give a stir and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then add the tomatoes, cream, salt and pepper (but make sure to add the salt at the end if your broth it's salty). Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Turn the heat off, let it cool slightly, and blend half of the soup with an immersion blender or a stand blender. If using a stand blender - for the best combination of textures - try to lift out the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and blend them with the basil trying to leave the carrot bits in the pot. And for your safety, read the notes in the recipe card!
Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir to combine with the rest of the chunky soup. Taste and season to taste if needed (the amount of salt needed will depend on the salt content of your broth).
Serve with a drizzle of cream, freshly ground black pepper if desired. Don't forget crusty bread and croutons. Enjoy!
Notes
Be careful while blending!
Firstly, make sure you know how your blender works. As a rule of thumb, if using a high-speed stand blender like a Vitamix, make sure you follow these simple rules to avoid a mess of hot soup all over yourself and kitchen:
Let the soup cool slightly.
Use a ladle to transfer part of soup to the blender (and always work in batches if you want to blend all the soup). Be careful during this process, it’s still hot.
Never fill a blender bowl to a brim, never pass the maximum fill line.
Once you’ve transferred the soup to the blender, you’ll need to remove the cap in the lid to let the hot steam escape. Because hot soups create steam!
Cover the open hole with a folded tea towel to protect yourself.
Finally, blend until smooth and creamy, and carefully return the soup to the pot.
Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.