This is a perfect soup for all seasons, and in the summer, you can actually use fresh chopped tomatoes and basil, which will add a little but not a lot of time to your prep. Make the soup as chunky or as smooth as you'd like.
Ingreadient
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
- 2 cups non-fat low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Celery stalks or bread, for serving, optional
Direction
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions, celery, and garlic and gently sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Don't allow the garlic to brown.
- Add the basil, thyme, tomatoes, and broth of choice. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Alternatively, you can carefully purée the soup in batches in a food processor or blender— always process warm rather than hot soups to avoid accidents.
- Purée the soup lightly if you like a chunky consistency. Otherwise, purée it fully for a velvety texture.
- Serve it hot (or chill it for a summer soup) drizzled with olive oil. Accompany with bread or a celery stalk stirrer.
