Tomato soup. It’s one of those things that I always brush off as being really boring, but I change my mind the second the rich and creamy soup passes my lips.

Tomato soup may not ever change the world, but it’s a reliable crowd-pleaser – that friend who’s always there for you, but sometimes gets taken for granted.

(too poetic?)

Today I’m paying homage to our humble friend (I decided to carry on with the poetry thing…). Shop-bought soups are fine, but this quick tomato soup recipe takes just 15 minutes (max!) to throw together, and you’re in control of exactly what you add. I kept it nice and simple – onion, garlic, passata, and a dollop of sour cream (or Greek yogurt if you prefer) to add that all-important richness. Fifteen minutes from start to finish.

Since the soup is so excruciatingly simple, I added a little flair with a basil pine nut crumb (which is really just a fancy way of saying that I whizzed up fresh basil and pine nuts in a food processor). You can blitz it up while your soup is bubbling, so it doesn’t add any time to the recipe, but it just makes it feel a little bit more special. We all know that tomatoes and basil are a match made in heaven, and the pine nuts add a lovely Italian-style crunch.

You can also dollop it with a bit more sour cream and a few whole pine nuts if you want to make it pretty!

This quick tomato soup (and every other soup too, really) is a great dish to make in advance, because it can be reheated really easily. Just add your toppings right before serving, otherwise I can’t promise that the basil and pine nut mixture won’t have slowly sunk into the soup never to be seen again.

Print 15 minute tomato soup with basil pine nut crumb Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 2 Ingredients 1 tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 small onion diced

500 g passata

200 ml vegetable stock

1/4 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp pine nuts

Small bunch fresh basil

Black pepper

1 tbsp sour cream or Greek yogurt heaped Instructions Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the garlic and onion. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.

Add the passata, vegetable stock and thyme, and mix well. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for another 5 minutes.

While the soup is bubbling, add the pine nuts and fresh basil to a mini food processor, and blitz for a few seconds until a coarse crumb is formed. Set aside.

If desired, blitz the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

Season the soup with plenty of black pepper (you might not need salt unless you used low-sodium stock). Remove from the heat, and add the sour cream (or Greek yogurt). Mix well, and serve warm, topped with the basil and pine nut crumb. Author: Becca Heyes

Love creamy soups? Try my creamy spring vegetable soup – packed with vegetables and Greek yogurt!