Tomato Soup

Soften the onion

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until the pieces are soft and translucent with no browning, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Cook the flour

Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir until no dry flour remains. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute so the raw taste cooks off. The mixture will look pasty and cling to the onion.

Add the tomatoes and broth

Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, crushing each one in your hand as it goes into the pot. Add the broth, sugar, salt, and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen anything stuck there.

Simmer until the tomatoes fall apart

Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat so it holds a gentle simmer with small bubbles breaking the surface. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato pieces collapse when pressed against the side of the pot with a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes.

Blend smooth

Remove the pot from the heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until no chunks remain, or let it cool for 10 minutes and blend in batches in a countertop blender, filling the jar no more than halfway and holding the lid down with a towel. Return the soup to the pot.

Finish with cream

Stir in the cream and warm the soup over low heat until it steams. Do not let it boil after the cream goes in or it may separate. Taste and add salt as needed. Canned tomatoes vary, so a second pinch of sugar can round off any sharp edge. Stir in the basil and serve hot.

Storage. The soup keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring, and thin with a little broth if it has thickened.

Substitutions. Whole milk can replace the cream for a lighter soup. Fire-roasted tomatoes give a smokier flavor with no other change.