Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Chilled Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup
A cold bowl of tomato soup sounds especially good when you want something gentle and refreshing. This one has a smooth, creamy spoonful and basil that smells fresh as you lean over the bowl. Give it time to get properly cold, then sit down and enjoy it.
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Wait for softened vegetables
Cook the onion, carrot and garlic until soft and just starting to brown before adding the tomato mixture.
2. Blend until fully smooth
Puree the soup completely before stirring in the cream. The finished bowl should have a smooth texture throughout.
3. Chill it thoroughly
Refrigerate the blended soup until very cold. Cooling is a full part of the preparation for this chilled soup.
Get to know the ingredients
Whole peeled tomatoes
Use the canned whole peeled tomatoes listed here; they simmer with the other ingredients before the soup is pureed.
Carrot rounds
Peel the carrots and slice them into the specified thin rounds before they join the onion and garlic.
Orange juice
The recipe prefers juice that is not from concentrate. Its flavor becomes more subtle once the soup is cold.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Chilled Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Basil on the cold bowls
Ladle the cold soup into bowls and add chopped fresh basil. Whole basil leaves are an optional final garnish.
A little more help as you go
Leave an escape for blender heat
If using a standard blender, work in batches with the jar at most half full and the lid opening loosely covered.
Freeze before the cream goes in
The soup can be frozen for up to three months without cream; stir the cream in fully when ready to serve.
A few questions you might have
Can I puree the soup in the pot?
Yes. A handheld immersion blender is given as an option for pureeing the soup until completely smooth.
When do I check the seasoning?
Taste after blending and stirring in the heavy cream. Adjust with salt or sugar if the soup needs it.
Does the basil only go on top?
Some basil simmers in the soup with the tomatoes. More fresh basil goes onto the bowls at the end.
Why does the orange seem stronger while the soup is warm?
The directions specifically note that orange juice tastes more pronounced in the hot soup and becomes subtler after chilling.
Must I move the soup into another container to chill?
You can transfer it to a container or leave it in the pot, then refrigerate it until very cold.
Any more cooking tips?
Freezing Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, add the heavy cream and stir until fully combined with the remainder of the soup.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: onceuponachef.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
