Preppy Kitchen Recipes Soups Tomato Soup Recipe

Tomato Soup Recipe

Name: Tomato Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 yellow onion (chopped); 6 garlic cloves (minced); 2 (28-ounce/794g) cans whole peeled tomatoes; 3 cups water or chicken stock ((720ml)); 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; Salt (to taste); ¾ cup heavy cream ((180ml)); Fresh basil (chopped)

By John Kanell Updated Jan 6, 2024
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Try this creamy tomato soup recipe with a few pantry staples and easy steps! With plenty of bright tomato flavor balanced with fresh basil and a swirl of cream, this tomato soup is comforting and cozy for chilly nights.

Two bowls of tomato soup topped with some bread and fresh basil.

My homemade tomato soup recipe is one of those delightful gems that requires very little effort (only about 10 minutes of active time) but has a huge flavor payoff. Tomato soup is rich and creamy with a perfectly balanced tomato flavor. And you only need a few simple ingredients to whip up a batch.

The best tomato soup recipe actually uses whole canned tomatoes! They are a huge time-saver for this recipe, extra flavorful, and are available year-round, which means you can make flavor-packed tomato soup in the heart of winter when it’s not tomato season. Paired with sauteed onions and garlic, broth, and a little heavy cream, this tomato soup recipe is sure to be on repeat in your home! If you’re looking for more homemade soup recipes, try my chicken stew recipe, French onion soup, or lentil soup recipe.

What You Need to Make this Recipe

Ingredients needed to make a tomato soup recipe.

Olive oil and butter — these add richness and flavor to the tomato soup. The oil also helps to keep the butter from burning.

Aromatics — sauteed yellow onion and minced garlic impart layers of flavor and a mouthwatering fragrance to the soup.

Tomatoes — you need two 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes for a thick, tomato-rich soup.

Water or chicken stock — I prefer to use chicken stock for extra flavor, but you can use water in a pinch or swap it for vegetable stock.

Sugar — granulated sugar (white sugar) balances the acidity of the tomatoes and enhances their flavor. You can leave this out if desired.

Heavy cream — a little heavy cream adds a little decadence and also takes away some of the acidic bite of the tomatoes.

Fresh basil — fresh chopped basil is the perfect finishing touch of bright color and a hint of fresh herbal flavor for this delicious soup.

How to Make this Tomato Soup Recipe

Set of two photos showing onions diced and cooked in a pot.

1. Using a sharp knife, peel and chop a yellow onion.

2. Combine olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven and heat them over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the chopped yellow onion and allow it to cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, until the garlic is very fragrant and browning.

Set of two photos showing canned tomatoes and stock added to a pot.

3. Add the canned whole tomatoes to the pot. To avoid wasting even a drop of the delicious tomato juice, pour a little chicken stock or water into the cans and swirl it around, then pour that into the pot.

4. Add the rest of the chicken stock (or water, if using) to the mixture. Stir in the white sugar and black pepper and bring the soup mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the tomato soup recipe simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Set of two photos showing soup blended in the pot and cream poured in.

5. Remove from the heat. Use an immersion blender to carefully pulse the soup until the tomatoes have broken up a bit and your desired consistency is reached. Taste and add salt if necessary.

6. Stir in the heavy cream and serve the easy tomato soup immediately, topped with chopped fresh basil.

Overhead view of a white Dutch oven containing tomato soup. Basil and bread off to the side.

Pro Tips for Making this Recipe

Don’t use a high-speed blender. Blending olive oil at a high speed can make it bitter, so I don’t recommend using a powerful, high-speed blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender and you want to blend the soup for a silky smooth texture, use vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or all butter instead. You can also use a potato masher instead to break up the tomatoes if you prefer a chunky soup.
Use a non-reactive pot. Aluminum, cast iron, or copper pots can react with the acidity of the tomatoes, and the soup may taste metallic. Try stainless steel or enamel-coated cookware instead.
Turn it into a homemade tomato basil soup recipe! To easily add more basil flavor to the soup, add about 10 basil leaves to the pot right after you turn off the heat and pulse with an immersion blender.
For a lighter homemade tomato soup: Use half and half instead of heavy cream. You can also reduce the amount of heavy cream to ½ cup.
Make vegan tomato soup: Leave out the butter and use more extra virgin olive oil or swap it for vegan butter, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and use full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream.

Overhead view of a bowl of tomato soup with basil and bread on top. A plate of bread off to the side along with a pot of the soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best tomatoes to use for this soup

Canned tomatoes are a convenient option, and my preference over fresh tomatoes, because you are guaranteed great-tasting, ripe tomatoes every time. You can also get canned tomatoes year-round, so there’s no need to worry about them being seasonal. I prefer San Marzano tomatoes for their deep flavor, but use what you love or have on hand. You can enhance the flavor of a less flavorful can of tomatoes by adding a tablespoon of tomato paste per can to the soup.

How to serve it

There are so many ways to serve this easy tomato soup recipe! A classic choice is to serve it alongside a comforting air fryer grilled cheese sandwich. Alternatively, toast some crusty sourdough bread or make my recipe for garlic bread and dunk that instead. Or, top the soup with a few crunchy croutons, crispy bacon bits, and shredded cheddar cheese.

How do you store leftovers?

Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container (preferably glass to prevent staining a plastic container). This tomato soup recipe will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, move the soup to a saucepan and warm it up over medium-low heat.

Can you freeze it?

Tomato soup freezes very well! Once it has cooled completely, transfer the soup to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. It will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop over medium-low heat and enjoying. If you plan to make a batch for longer-term freezing, I’d recommend leaving out the cream and adding it in when reheating the soup.

If you’ve tried this Tomato Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!