This cold tomato soup is very refreshing, and ridiculously easy to make. Serve it as an appetizer, or as a tasty summertime lunch.
This cold tomato soup is so good. It’s wonderfully creamy. It has sweetness from the canned tomatoes and a slight tang from the buttermilk, and the basil really enhances it.
Unlike the Spanish gazpacho, this soup has more of an Italian flavor profile. It is smoother and creamier. Both are very good, but this one is easier to make.
Cold tomato soup is the perfect summer dish
We usually think of hot soup in the winter (this vegetable beef soup is so rich and comforting), but cold soup is such a nice dish to have in the summer – it’s as cooling and refreshing as cold lemonade.
On a hot summer day, sometimes I just can’t bring myself to cook – or eat – warm food. On those days, cold soups such as this one, or a chilled avocado soup, are a lifesaver.
An easy recipe made with canned tomatoes
One of the things that make this cold tomato soup so easy is that it is made with canned tomatoes (which are also very healthy). I do highly recommend that you use the brand I linked to below in the recipe card – Pomi tomatoes. This is an Italian brand and it’s notably sweeter and milder than local canned tomatoes, that tend to have an acidic aftertaste. You can find Pomi tomatoes on Amazon, at Whole Foods, and in a growing number of supermarkets around the country.
I also highly recommend that you use a good extra virgin olive oil in this cold tomato soup. It does make a difference.
How long can I keep cold tomato soup?
You can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Make sure to stir the leftovers well before serving. I never tried freezing this soup, so I don’t know if that would work.
Cold Tomato Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves (20 grams)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups Pomi strained tomatoes or canned tomato puree
- 1 cup low fat buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the basil, garlic and olive oil in your food processor bowl. Process into a paste.
- Add the tomatoes, buttermilk, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and well-incorporated, about 1 minute, stopping if needed to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and chill 2 hours before serving.
