An Awesome Copycat for La Madeleine Tomato Soup Basil Recipe
Over the years, many people have tried to create variations on the classic La Madeline tomato soup basic recipe but filed. This delicious soup is filled with healthy ingredients and goes great with just about any meal. Do you love the legendary La Madeline tomato basil soup and want to make some at home? Well, we have an amazing copycat La Madeline tomato soup basil recipe that you just think you’ll love! We made a few slight adjustments to make this recipe a little healthier and tastier.
What Ingredients Are in the La Madeline Tomato Soup Basil Recipe?
In our research, we found the following calories in a typical La Madeline tomato basil soup recipe:
- Four Cups of Fresh Tomatoes (crushed or chopped)
- 12-14 cups of tomato juice (or part vegetable or part chicken stock)
- One fresh and washed basil leaf
- One-quarter cup of heavy cream
- One pound of sweet and unsalted butter
- One-quarter teaspoon of salt
- One teaspoon of cracked black pepper
We love that this recipe has only a handful of simple ingredients that are mostly relatively healthy and easy to prepare. Most people should already have butter, salt, and pepper in their homes. The diverse stock or juice options are also excellent because vegetable or chicken stock can create different overall flavors (more on that later). This recipe should have a similar nutrient content to a typical tomato soup, including (per bowl):
- 80 calories
- 9.4 grams of carbs
- 4.3 grams of fat
- 1.8 grams of protein
- 1,557 mg of salt
The biggest concern here for the average health-conscious person will be the high salt or sodium content. It makes up over two-thirds of your salt in a single bowl of soup! Thankfully, our copycat La Madeleine tomato soup basil recipe makes a few simple adjustments that will make this recipe healthier and even tastier!
How We Improve This Recipe
Are you worried about the heart-health implications of a soup with so much salt? Replace this ingredient with garlic, onion powder, or even lemon juice! Garlic is an excellent option because it adds an immediate kick to the recipe, boosting its overall taste. This ingredient is also very healthy and can boost your cognitive health and much more.
Onion powder is a great option for people who like the taste of onion but who struggle with the texture. Note that onion powder is very potent and may have some sodium. Thankfully, you can also swap in fresh onions if you enjoy them. Just chop them up very finely and add them to your soup recipe. They’ll offer just a hint of sweetness with minimum excess sodium.
The Butter Question: Are There Replacements?
We did a lot of research into butter alternatives because we know that some people may find the high volume of butter in this recipe concerning. Margarine may work well for some people, but it may also have problems. For example, while margarine may have less fat than some kinds of butters, it still has a sizeable fat concentration that doesn’t necessarily make this an automatically healthier option.
Some recipes can replace butter with olive oil, a healthier and less fat-dense replacement that may work in the La Madeleine tomato soup basil recipe. However, olive oil slightly changes this meal’s texture, so we strongly recommend sticking with butter to get the best result. You can half the amount you use to cut back on the fat. Note that this changes the taste, too.
Vegetable or Chicken Stock: That is The Question!
Adding vegetable or chicken stock instead of tomato juice will give your soup a slightly different texture. Typically, vegetable stock adds different plant-based flavors to your soup, such as a touch of broccoli or carrots. Chicken stock gives it a denser and meatier feel that some may strongly prefer. In the end, it all comes down to preference. Note: vegetable and chicken stock are a great alternative if too many tomatoes give you heartburn.
Preparing Your Meal: A Few Simple Steps
A little preparation can go a long way when preparing this popular recipe in your home. There aren’t many steps to consider when preparing to cook this meal, thankfully. They differ very little from a standard tomato soup recipe and should give you a fantastic overall result. Just a few simple steps that help you make this recipe quickly and efficiently include:
- Washing, coring, and chopping your fresh tomatoes before cooking
- Cleaning the basil leaves with fresh cold water
- Finding a strong food processor or blender for mixing these ingredients
- Preparing a saucepan for cooking
- Buying a loaf of delicious French bread (or your favorite type) to serve with the soup
- Letting your butter soften if you left it in the refrigerator
This last step isn’t strictly necessary but makes scooping and measuring the butter a little easier. Before cooking, you should also decide if you want to add a little lemon juice to your recipe. A typical La Madeleine tomato soup basil recipe does call for lemon juice, but you can also use dill for a distinct taste if you prefer.
Cooking This Fantastic Soup
Now that you’ve chosen and prepared your amazing ingredients, you’re ready to make tomato soup! This process should take no more than 30-40 minutes or less, including ingredient preparation time. Follow these steps to cook this delicious La Madeleine tomato soup basil recipe:
- Combine your prepared tomatoes in a large saucepan with your juice or stock
- Warm them to a boil and decrease the heat to simmer them for 30 minutes
- Mix these ingredients with your basil leaves and puree into a fine blend
- Return this puree to the saucepan and add your cream and butter
- Stir over low heat with basil leaves and serve into a bowl with your bread
- Flavor with cracked black pepper to your liking
- Optional: add lemon juice or dill for further flavoring
Serve warm on a cold winter day to get the best results. We also urge you to add a multi-cheese grilled cheese to this meal. You can dunk the sandwich right in your soup for a classic combination that is hard to beat. Feel free to add any other ingredients, like crushed pepper flakes, to give it more of a punch.
Serving and Storing This Soup
If you don’t eat all of this soup after cooking it, we have good news! It can store for at least three days or so in a refrigerator with minimal issue. This advice comes directly from Martha Stewart herself, though is also generally accepted in the culinary world. After three days, the soup may have a pungent smell and taste that indicates that it is going bad. Throw it away if it reaches this point!
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