In a large pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté another 3 minutes.
While onion and garlic are sautéing, open your canned tomatoes and dice the whole tomatoes.
Add the diced tomatoes and juices/tomato puree to the pot with the sauteed onion and garlic.
Add the vegetable stock, chopped basil and butter. Stir until butter is melted and incorporated.
Add the baking soda. This will cause the soup to bubble up quite a bit, so make sure your pot is big enough to hold a little momentary soup fizz. The bubbles/fizz will die down after a few seconds of stirring.
Bring pot to a full boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Optional: You can blend part or all of this soup for a smoother consistency, though I like it chunky.
Serve with grated parmesan on top. Seriously. It’s the bomb!
Notes
*You can also use 3 (28-oz) cans of diced tomatoes as well! I simply prefer using the whole peeled tomatoes and chopping them myself. Recipe Adapted from Jovial Food's Homemade Tomato Soup recipe.