This homemade tomato soup recipe is rich, flavorful, and easy to make with basic ingredients. Just add a grilled cheese for a delicious, comforting meal!
This homemade tomato soup recipe is creamy, comforting, and flavorful. It’s made with simple ingredients like diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots, and it comes together in under an hour.
Easy and delicious, this soup is one of my favorite meals for a chilly night, and it just so happens to be fully kid-approved. Try it the next time you’re in the mood for something quick and cozy. Paired with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, it’s guaranteed to hit the spot!
Why You’ll Love This Tomato Soup Recipe
- It’s easy to make with basic ingredients. This tomato soup recipe calls for canned tomatoes and other pantry staples. I love that I can make it without a trip to the store!
- It has a perfectly balanced flavor. Because this recipe calls for canned tomatoes, it’s delicious even when fresh tomatoes aren’t in season. The tangy tomatoes play off sweet carrots and balsamic vinegar, and heavy cream adds richness to round it all out. (Find a dairy-free option below!)
- You can make it ahead. It keeps well in the fridge for several days and freezes well too. I love keeping a stash in the freezer for a quick and easy dinner!
Tomato Soup Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this tomato soup recipe:
- Canned tomatoes – Diced tomatoes are my go-to for this soup because I like to blend some and leave the rest whole for texture. Whole peeled tomatoes work too, but you’ll need to crush them with your hands before using them.
- Olive oil and butter – They create the soup’s rich base. To make this recipe dairy-free, feel free to use additional olive oil instead of the butter.
- Onion and garlic – For savory depth of flavor.
- Carrots and balsamic vinegar – If you ask me, the secret to making the best tomato soup is adding something sweet to balance the acidic tomatoes. The carrots and balsamic vinegar do that in this recipe.
- Vegetable broth or water – I’ve had great results using both! I just find the soup needs an extra pinch of salt when I make it with water.
- Heavy cream – It perfects the soup’s creamy texture and adds rich flavor. To make this soup dairy-free, use full-fat coconut milk instead. I promise, you can’t taste it!
- Dried thyme – For warm, earthy flavor. Feel free to substitute fresh thyme if you have it on hand. I like to bundle 3 sprigs and simmer them in the soup, then remove the bundle before blending.
- Red pepper flakes – For heat.
- Fresh basil leaves – I love sprinkling a few leaves over my bowl for a fresh finishing touch.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Best Tomatoes for Tomato Soup
Canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes both work well in soup, but I don’t use them interchangeably.
- This recipe is best with canned tomatoes. They make it quick and easy to prepare because they have a concentrated sweet and tangy flavor straight out of the can.
- For a fabulous fresh tomato soup, check out my tomato basil soup instead! In that recipe, I roast the tomatoes first to concentrate their flavor.
Tip: In late fall, winter, and spring, I recommend sticking with canned tomatoes. They actually have a better flavor when fresh tomatoes aren’t in season!
How to Make Tomato Soup
This homemade tomato soup recipe is so simple to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, sauté the veggies. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook until the veggies soften, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar.
Next, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the carrots are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Then, blend part of the soup to create its creamy texture. Scoop 4 cups of the soup out of the pot and set aside. Transfer the remaining soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. If you like, you could use an immersion blender for this step, though I prefer the smoother texture I get when I use my regular blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, along with the 4 cups of chunky soup. Stir to combine.
Finally, season to taste and serve. That’s it!
What to Serve with Tomato Soup
This easy tomato soup recipe pairs perfectly with crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping.
I also love it with toppings like these:
- Basil leaves – For fresh flavor.
- Homemade croutons – For crunchy contrast.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese – For a salty, nutty pop.
- A drizzle of olive oil or heavy cream – For extra richness.
How do you like to serve tomato soup? Let me know in the comments!
How to Store and Freeze
To store: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze: This soup also freezes well. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then seal it in airtight containers, leaving an inch of space for it to expand at the top. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Warm in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this creamy tomato soup recipe, try one of these homemade soups next:
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or an additional 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, and their juices
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1⅓ cups heavy cream, plus more for drizzling*
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in the vinegar, then add the tomatoes, water, cream, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- Scoop 4 cups of the soup out of the pot and set aside. Transfer the remaining soup to a blender. Puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot with the reserved 4 cups of chunky soup. Stir to combine and season to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of cream, a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh basil leaves for garnish.
I made this last night and I have to commend you for how DELICIOUS it was. I loved it so much! Very easy to follow and I feel it would be a great soup for anyone who think they “cannot cook.” I did opt for heavy cream over coconut milk, but would love to try it with that.
I paired it with a sourdough grilled cheese with pepper Colby jack. I just wanted to share how much I loved this one. Printed it and added to my favorite recipes.
Thank you,
Eddie 🙂
Hi Eddie, I’m so glad you loved it!
I made this while I was incredibly sick and I really think it helped me recover quicker. Also It wasn’t hard to make for someone who is not very knowledgeable about cooking.
I forgot to mention that I used trader joes vegan alternative for heavy whipping cream and I could not taste the difference
Hi Amaya, I’m so glad you’re feeling better and that you loved the soup! Great to know the vegan cream alternative worked well here.
Hello, just curious if you’ve ever subbed greek yogurt or cannelloni beans for the heavy cream? Trying to add some protein and take some fat out of the recipe for a specific nutritional need and curious if you think that will ruin the taste or if you’ve tried and if so how much of each you think would sub for the cream you recommend? Thx!
Hi LJ, we haven’t tried this sub in this particular recipe, but we’ve used blended beans for creaminess in many other soups. I think it would work here! I would start by adding 1 cup cannellini beans to the blender when you blend some of the soup. You could potentially use more, but I’d start there so that the soup doesn’t get too thick. Hope this helps!
What brand of canned tomatoes do you use? I’ve found they vary greatly n taste and composition.
Hi Nola, we typically use 365 organic or Muir Glen.
Just made it, everyone loved it!!!!!
Hi Misael, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
This was amazing. Glad I followed the recipe as is.
Hi Amy, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Best tomato soup I’ve made, huge hit with family, paired well with garlic toast and also grilled cheese sandwich. Fabulous
I’m so glad you loved it!
I made this last night and was delighted! I used roughly 3/4 C half-n-half instead of the recipe’s coconut milk, and 2 golf ball sized frozen pesto balls instead of basil (just using what I had). It was delicious with a bit of feta & crackers (will make croutons next time though). I also added about a tablespoon of sugar. May leave out the Balsamic next time. Not sure I liked that flavor profile, but I managed to cover it up. thanks for the recipe!
I would like to see full nutritional values for your recipes. On a very strick diet and won’t make unless I have that information, hopefully it will be included in the future and see an update to you recipes. They sound delicious.
This soup is delicious! I subbed the coconut milk with zero fat Greek yogurt and emulsified the whole pot. Basil and all. Family loved it!
I’m so glad it was a hit!
This is my favorite tomato soup recipe! I’ve made it about 4x and always used heavy cream, but this last time used coconut milk to lighten it up and I honestly didn’t see a difference in richness and flavor. I recommend it to everyone!
Hi Megan, I’m so glad you loved it!
I am super picky about tomato soup and this recipe is a keeper. Any thoughts on freezing leftovers?
This is my favorite go to, tomato soup. I follow the directions except that I use an immersion blender in the end. Grilled cheese dips nicely ?
I’m so glad you loved it!
Can you tell me if the canned tomatoes are 28 oz each or a total of 28 oz?
2 cans 28oz each. Just made it.. delish!
Hi Marilyn, 2 28-ounce cans
Excellent soup, delicious! It made it into my recipe file. Can’t wait to make it again.
Hi. Love your recipes but being health conscious, do you ever post nutrition info including calories? Am I missing something?
Thank you for these great recipes.
Hi Cheryl, I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition facts (I like to focus on the quality of ingredients not on the #’s) but you can plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.
Was disappointed in the flavor. It was the addition of the balsamic vinegar. I used heavy cream instead of the coconut milk, which might have tempered the acidity/vinegar taste. Added butter & sugar to try & balance, which helped. Will do it again, w/o the balsamic.
I am confused. Sorry but Is the the two cans of tomatoes 28 ounce each so over all 56 ounces of canned tomatoes it is 2 tomato cans 14 ounces each so overall 28 ounces of canned tomatoes?
Hi Yael, you’ll need 2 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, 56 ounces total.
I used the recipe for inspiration, made a bunch of changes to clean out the pantry, still delicious.
1 can 15oz of fire roasted tomatoes
1 can 6 oz tomato paste
2 celery stalks sauteed with onions and carrots
1 Tbs of veggie Better than Bouillon
1 can hatch chiles 4 oz
Water- about 5 cups
Thyme, basil, garlic as per recipe
Blended it all up in blender.
Hi Deborah, so glad you loved the soup!
Your modifications sound great, especially after seeing comments about coconut milk. Did you add anything creamy? I might try your suggestion.
Hello loveandlemons,
For tomato soup, I didn’t add anything creamy…just the blended the ingredients, plus salt, pepper. I don’t like creamy milks in soups, and without the milks, it’s easier to reheat and freeze, imo. Even potato leek soup or corn chowder are delicious without any milk. I like your recipes, they get my creative cooking juices flowing. thank you,
deborah
Wasn’t keen on the coconut milk. Could definitely taste it in the final product.
I used fresh tomatoes because I needed to use up end of season crop… I also wanted a smoother consistency so strained it before serving….
Flavor….just okay. I think I’ll try it again with dairy cream next time….
I’m going to make this. Can I just use an immersion blender for a few seconds?
Yes, you can use an immersion blender until it’s pureed.