Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 yellow onions (3 cups finely chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (1 Tbsp minced)
• 56 oz crushed tomatoes (2, 28-oz cans) with their juice, preferably San Marzano
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more to serve
• 1 Tbsp sugar, or added to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or to taste to combat acidity
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more to serve

Serves 8 (1 cup servings)

Instructions

1. Heat a nonreactive pot or enameled dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter then add chopped onions. Sauté 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add crushed tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, chopped basil, sugar (or add sugar to taste), and black pepper. Stir together and bring to a boil then reduce heat, partially cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. You can leave your soup with a chunky consistency, but if you like a blended/creamy soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot to desired consistency or transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth (being careful not to over-fill the blender with hot liquid and pulse a few times initially to get it started), then return blended soup to the pot over medium heat.
4. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed and turn off the heat.*
5. Ladle into warm bowls and top with more parmesan and chopped fresh basil.

Notes: *Some crushed tomatoes can seem tangier. If the soup seems too acidic or sour, you can add more heavy cream and sugar to taste.