Ingredients

• 1 kg large tomatoes
• 1 piece yellow onion
• 4 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Turkish yogurt

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables

   Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to ice water. Peel and roughly chop into large chunks. Finely dice the onion into 5mm pieces and mince the garlic cloves. Keep vegetables separate on cutting board. Do not skip the blanching step as it makes peeling much easier.

2. Sauté the aromatics

   Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until shimmering. Add diced onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden but not browned. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let garlic burn or it will become bitter.

3. Brown the tomato paste

   Add tomato paste to the pot and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a deep red color and becomes fragrant. This step is crucial for developing rich flavor. Do not rush this process or the paste will taste raw.

4. Sauté the tomatoes

   Add chopped tomatoes to the pot and cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and liquid reduces by half. The mixture should be thick and jammy with a deep red color. Do not add liquid yet as tomatoes need to concentrate.

5. Add broth and simmer

   Pour in vegetable broth and add sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until flavors meld and soup slightly thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Do not boil vigorously or soup may become too thick.

6. Blend until smooth

   Remove pot from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend soup for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. For extra smoothness, strain through fine-mesh sieve. Return to pot and reheat gently over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Do not blend hot soup at high speed to avoid splattering.

7. Finish and serve

   Remove from heat and stir in chopped fresh basil. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of Turkish yogurt. Serve immediately while hot. The yogurt will create beautiful swirls in the deep red soup. Do not boil after adding yogurt or it may curdle.

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