Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Add the tomatoes, water, orange juice, sugar, salt and basil and bring the soup to a boil. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Step 3

Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until completely smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée soup in batches. Always be careful not to fill the jar more than halfway, and leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape.) Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or sugar if necessary. Note that the flavor of the orange juice is more pronounced when the soup is hot; once the soup is chilled, it will be more subtle.

Step 4

Transfer the soup to a container (or leave in the pot if you wish) and refrigerate until very cold.

Step 5

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh chopped basil. Garnish with whole basil leaves if desired.