tomato-basil soup

I think this might be my favorite tomato soup ever. Everything about it is simple- the ingredients, the flavor and the texture yet it's rich and hearty and very satisfying. You'll have to pull out a blender but it's worth it! Tonight we had chicken souvlaki gyros with this soup and daughter #2 said this was her favorite dinner ever. She liked both dishes but the soup was her very favorite.

tomato-basil soup
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 (14.5 ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, salt and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 seconds. Stir in basil.
Place half the soup in a blender and process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large saucepan. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. Garnish with fresh basil.

What I have to say- this soup is very forgiving. This time I used one can diced tomatoes and two cans diced tomatoes with Italian spices so I left out the salt and it was great! If you don't have 2 full cups of fresh basil go ahead and use what you have (at least 1 cup).