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Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for finish
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 1 cup carrots, finely diced
- 1 ¼ cups onions, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken bone broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 dry bay leaves
- ¾ to 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- Parmesan cheese rind, or Romano cheese rind, optional
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese, or Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup half and half, optional
Instructions
- In a large deep pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat.
- Add celery, carrots, and onions; cook for 7 to 8 minutes until soft.
- Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken bone broth, salt, black pepper, cheese rind (if using), thyme, and bay leaves.
- Cover and simmer on low for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and flavors meld.
- Toss in fresh basil during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Remove cheese rind, bay leaves, and thyme from the pot.
- Add grated cheese and blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender.
- If desired, stir in half and half or a splash of cream, then adjust seasoning to taste and simmer until ready to serve.
Notes
The cheese rind adds depth to the soup but is optional.
For a thicker soup, uncover the pot towards the end of cooking.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 25mg