I love the simplicity of this late-summer soup. Tomatoes, onions, white beans, a little cheese, and basil. That’s all, folks. This is a soup that spans the seasons from late summer to early fall. Add a grilled cheese sandwich and everyone will be full and happy. You will also want to freeze a few portions for the cool, rainy and snowy days to come, when you don’t feel like cooking and fresh tomatoes are long gone.
What Kind of Tomatoes to Use
You can use plum (Roma) tomatoes or any ripe tomatoes that you have on hand, or use canned tomatoes when ripe ones aren’t in season. Beans add body and flavor to the finished soup, so no cream is required. If you don’t have cherry tomatoes for the garnish, just set aside one of the smaller tomatoes intended for your soup and use that instead. The garnish brightens the soup with a flash of fresh sweetness and an herby spike of basil. This recipe has been updated January 2018. You will need a blender or an immersion blender for this recipe.
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced 3 pounds ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (or two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes and their juices, crushed in a bowl) 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, or homemade 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
For the garnish:
12 cherry tomatoes, sliced or quartered 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 12 basil leaves, thinly sliced
Transfer the soup to a pot and stir in enough additional water to bring the soup to your desired consistency (up to 2 1/2 cups of water). Taste and add salt and pepper, if you like. Reheat over low heat until hot.
