Step 1

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 2

Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 3

Add tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, crush with a spoon and simmer for 10 minutes to soften. If using diced tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes. If using crushed tomatoes, continue to next step.

Step 4

Add broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 5

If using an immersion blender, blend soup until mostly smooth. You may need to tilt the pot for the blender to work effectively. If using a countertop blender, cool the soup for 10 minutes before transferring it to the blender and blend until smooth or mostly smooth. If soup is too thick, you can blend in a little more broth or water. Return to saucepan.

Step 6

Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over medium heat if necessary and enjoy!