Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

"Follow my train of thought here: When you go to a nice restaurant and the waiter describes the "soup of the day," it's this stuff that he is talking about. The consistency and flavor have the appeara..." See morence of a four or five star restaurant! I used fresh basil out of our herb garden and fresh Roma tomatoes. I didn't bother to peel the tomatoes. Why? The recipe could not have been any better. Yes, it is fattening. Yes, it could be made healthy. But NO! Don't do it! If anybody ever ask for homemade tomato soup of any kind, let this be the definitive one; it would be hard to do better."

"This recipe was excellent!! A restaurant near my house makes the best Tomato Basil soup, so I was looking for a recipe to imitate theirs. I would recommend only blending 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup, leav..." See moreing some chuncks gives it a nice consistancy. Also pealing and seeding is not a necessity. I did it the first time and not the second time and could not tell the differece. Also if your in hurry canned tomatoes work well as a substitute. Dont skimp on the basil, thats what makes it wonderful. Overall A++ a really great soup for any occasion."

"I loved this soup!!! I did not peel the tomatoes, just seeded them. I cut the cream in half as suggested by others & only used about 1/3 of a cup of butter. Since I am always on the lookout to make r..." See moreecipes healthier, next time I will decrease the butter to 1/4 cup & use half & half instead of cream & see if it alters the taste any. I did increase the basil some (practically butchered my little basil starter plants but it was worth it) & I garnished the soup w/ a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese & a sprig of basil. I served this al fresco on my patio w/ a salad & a glass of white merlot...just like dining at LaMadeline's!"