On a cold rainy day one of the things I crave the most is tomato soup with grilled cheese. I do like the soup in a can, but I always knew there was something better out there. I love the tomato basil soup from Applebees, and this one tastes very close. I pureed mine in the blender in 3 batches and didn't feel the need to strain it afterwards. I liked mine a little thicker so I didn't add all of the broth. There was plenty of leftovers, which I think I may thicken more and put over pasta with more basil and Parmesan cheese :)

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used homemade)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions:
In a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes  and bay leaf. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and their juices. Mash tomatoes using a potato masher, until tomato pieces are all smaller than 2 inches. Add sugar and bread. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and beginning to disintegrate, about 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaf, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth (I didn't add the additional oil). Transfer half of soup to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Strain if desired. Return soup to pot and stir in broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and return to a boil. Sprinkle basil over the top of each serving of soup and drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired.