You won’t believe how easy it is to make tomato soup from scratch. It’s incredible how combining a few humble pantry staples leads to such a rich and flavorful soup thats a favorite comfort food of home cooks. So simple yet delicious, this cozy and comforting soup has been on repeat at home. Paired with some homemade grilled cheese sandwiches, croutons, or my easy garlic bread, this soup is perfect for both adults and picky kids.
Whether you want to enjoy it for lunch or dinner, this creamy tomato soup recipe is perfect for any occasion, from entertaining guests or to an easy family dinner. Try my hearty chicken stew recipe, French onion soup, or healthy lentil soup recipe if you’re craving another recipe perfect for a chilly day.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Butter — you’ll need both butter and oil for this soup. The butter adds flavor to the soup, while the olive oil keeps the butter from burning.
Canned whole peeled tomatoes — I prefer whole peeled tomatoes over diced tomatoes as the sauce in the can is thicker. The whole tomatoes also easily break once you press down with a wooden spoon. San Marzano tomatoes are great for tomato soup as they have the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. If you canned any summer cherry tomatoes then this is a great opportunity to use them.
Water or chicken stock — you can use water or chicken stock to make tomato soup from scratch. I prefer chicken stock as it adds more flavor and subtle savory richness to the soup. If you would like to swap for vegetable stock or vegetable broth then you can.
Heavy cream — finishing your homemade tomato soup off with heavy cream makes the soup creamier and helps offset the acidity.
How to Make Tomato Soup
1. Dice the onions.
2. In a large Dutch oven, combine the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or until very fragrant and just starting to brown.
3. Add the canned tomatoes.
4. Swirl the cans with some chicken stock to get the rest of the tomato juices and pour them into the pot with the remaining stock. Stir in the sugar and black pepper. Bring to a boil, about 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally before removing from heat. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until smooth or your desired consistency.
6. Add salt to taste, if needed. You can use celery salt if preferred for this recipe. Stir the cream into the tomato soup. Serve immediately topped with fresh basil leaves.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Blending olive oil can make it bitter, so I don’t recommend using a high-speed blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender and want to blend the soup for a silky smooth texture, use vegetable or grapeseed oil in place of olive oil or use all butter.
- Avoid aluminum, cast iron, and copper pots as these materials could react with the tomatoes and leave the tomato soup tasting metallic.
- For more basil flavor, you can add a few extra sprigs of basil near the end and simmer for a few additional minutes. Remove them before blending to make a tasty homemade tomato basil soup!
- Swap the heavy cream for half and half if you prefer a lighter soup or you could even use coconut milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh tomatoes?
I prefer canned tomatoes as it’s easy to get them year-round. However, if you have some ripe tomatoes on hand, they’ll make for a great swap and the best tomato soup . You’ll need around 3 to 4 pounds of peeled tomatoes. They’ll also take a little longer to cook, and you’ll have to add extra liquid to make up for the liquid you get from the canned tomatoes. For extra flavor, roast the tomatoes with some olive oil beforehand, as not only does this add flavor, but it also makes it easier to peel the tomatoes. Roasting the tomatoes cuts down on the simmering time as well.
How do I store leftovers?
Allow the leftover soup to cool to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight container. Refrigerate the soup for up to 5 days. To reheat, simmer the soup over medium-low to medium heat, occasionally stirring, until heated throughout.
Can I freeze this soup?
Allow the leftover tomato soup to cool to room temperature and transfer it to freezer-friendly containers, making sure to leave some space for the soup to expand when frozen. Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and simmer until heated throughout when ready to enjoy.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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!
Tomato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes 28-ounce per can
- 3 cups water or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, combine olive oil and butter. Heat over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or until very fragrant and just starting to brown.
- Add the tomatoes. Swirl the cans with some of the chicken stock to get the rest of the tomato juices and pour into the pot with the remaining stock. Stir in the sugar and black pepper. Bring to a boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
- Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until smooth or your desired consistency. (I do not recommend transferring the soup to a high-speed blender as blending olive oil can turn it very bitter. Mash with a potato masher to break up the tomatoes instead.) Taste and add salt, if needed. Stir in the cream. Serve immediately topped with fresh basil.
Video
Notes
- Blending olive oil can make it bitter, so I don’t recommend using a high-speed blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender and want to blend the soup for a silky smooth texture, use vegetable or grapeseed oil in place of olive oil or use all butter.
- Avoid aluminum, cast iron, and copper pots as these materials could react with the tomatoes and leave the tomato soup tasting metallic.
- For more basil flavor, you can add a few extra sprigs of basil near the end and simmer for a few additional minutes. Remove them before blending to make a tasty homemade tomato basil soup!
- Swap the heavy cream for half and half if you prefer a lighter soup.
Incredible! I absolutely loved this recipe. I substituted water for Chardonnay and it was heavenly! Thank you.
Love that substitution!!