Blended Tomato Basil Soup with Optional Cream

The source gives this tomato basil soup a savory base of eight tomatoes, onion and garlic with a liter of vegetable broth. Blanch and peel the tomatoes if you want a smoother bowl, then chop them while the onion softens in olive oil. A teaspoon of dried basil and smaller measures of oregano and thyme add the herbal flavor. Simmer the vegetables with the broth until the tomatoes break down, then blend carefully and balance their acidity with the listed teaspoon of sugar. Cream is an optional finish in the original, not part of the simmered base. Add it to the serving bowl, or keep the soup dairy-free.