The mix of olive oil, garlic, basil and tomatoes in this traditional tomato basil soup recipe is really delicious.
Don’t you just love a pot of soup on the stove on a cool day? I really do and I make soup often.
This tomato basil soup is part of my soup making rotation. I just love it.
The addition of dried or toasted bread turns this classic soup into Italian tomato bread soup.
It is one of the best and easiest Italian soup recipes you will find.
The idea of a bread soup sounded very strange when I first heard of it, and I am part Italian!
Strange as it sounds, the taste is absolutely marvelous.
Soup recipes are such warm and comforting foods and this one brings the taste of Italy right to your kitchen.
I love that. It reminds me of the smell of my mother’s kitchen when I was young.
I hope you enjoy this one. Let me know in the comment area below if you make it.
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe:Italian Tomato Bread Soup
Ingredients
- 5 slices Italian bread, ideally stale, crusts removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds plum tomatoes, ripe, peeled, seeded and juice reserved or 1 - 35 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, diced and seeded, juices reserved
- 4 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- salt and black pepper
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- olive oil, extra virgin, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (only if you are using fresher bread).
- If the bread is stale, just set it aside. If it is fresh, arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast until they are light golden brown. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Remove and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is golden, about 6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the toasted bread and stock and return to a boil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and adjust the level of heat to a simmer.
- Cook, uncovered for about 40 minutes. After 30 minutes add the basil leaves. Whisk occasionally to break up the pieces of bread. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over.
Nutrition
Variation:
- If you want a smooth soup, remove the garlic cloves, then pulse it all in a blender until it is the consistency you desire.
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If you use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, this is a wonderful vegetarian soup recipe. It’s also vegan, a nice plus.
If you like our tomato basil soup recipe, look here for the rest of our soup recipes.
Find all of our Italian recipes here.
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