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This easy tomato soup recipe might be the best you’ll ever try! It’s ready in about half an hour and uses fire-roasted canned tomatoes, so it’s inexpensive and requires minimal effort.
Try my Tomato Tortellini Soup or Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
I always make my homemade tomato soup rather than using the condensed variety. It’s a great balance between ease and flavor. Using canned tomatoes is not only super convenient, but they taste every bit as good as fresh ones since they’re canned at the peak of ripeness.
This soup is velvety and rich without being heavy, and all you need is a few pantry staples to get that irresistible signature concentrated tomato taste with a hint of cream that you crave. Not all tomato soup recipes are created equal, so mine might just win you over!
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – our base aromatics. Vidalia (sweet) onions are my go-to.
- Flour – it acts as a thickener
- Chicken broth – for depth of flavor, but vegetable broth works if you need this to be vegetarian
- Tomatoes – we’re using fire-roasted canned diced tomatoes with the juices and fire-roasted canned crushed tomatoes as the base. They’re easier to work with than fresh tomatoes, perfectly ripe, and available anytime. No messing around with roasting tomatoes at home.
- Italian seasoning – it’s a versatile blend of fragrant Italian herbs that comes all in a single jar
- Sugar – it’s an old chef’s trick to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and brings out their natural sweetness. It’s why a good tomato soup tastes so good.
- Heavy cream – it gives a touch of richness and body to the soup
Pro tips
- The quality of the canned tomatoes matters here, and it can definitely vary from brand to brand. Using fire-roasted tomatoes adds so much extra flavor to the soup! I prefer Muir Glen brand.
- If you’re using regular diced and crushed tomatoes, my favorite brands include Muir Glen, DeLallo, and Mutti. I like the San Marzano variety if you can find them.
How to make tomato soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, add in the oil and butter. When it’s melted, sauté the onion until softened. Stir in the garlic and flour for a minute. Whisk in the chicken broth until the flour has dissolved.
Add in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, and cream to the pot. Let it come to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Season with salt & pepper, blend with an immersion blender if desired, and top with basil and parmesan if using.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- A garlic press makes it easy to mince the garlic cloves rather than by hand.
- This Dutch oven is the one I use to make this soup and many others.
- I love to use an immersion blender to get a rustic yet smooth texture.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream with something lower fat because there’s a good chance it will curdle. You could try stirring in some coconut milk for a dairy-free option if you’re used to that kind of a substitution, but it will taste different, of course.
- Toss in any fresh garden herbs that you might have on hand. You could also use dried basil instead of fresh. Add a half tablespoon (or more) in at the same time as the Italian seasoning.
- You don’t have to blend the soup if you prefer a more rustic texture from the diced tomatoes, or simply just blend some of it.
What to serve with tomato soup
- Top it with freshly grated parmesan and a handful of fresh basil from the garden, pair it with a slice of focaccia or sourdough, and you’re all set.
- A grilled cheese sandwich is an obvious choice, but you can also do my Easy Homemade Croutons (Garlic & Parmesan) to change it up! There’s still bread and cheese, so it counts.
- Craving the classic soup and salad combo? Try it with my Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- This tomato soup makes wonderful leftovers. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- It also freezes great for up to 6 months. Try individual portions to make it easy to grab a meal anytime.
- Reheat this soup over a low heat, giving it the occasional stir, on the stovetop. You can also microwave it in short intervals until warmed through.
I think this easy tomato soup is just all-around tasty, and I hope you agree! Let me know what you think in the comments below. You can also find me on Instagram.
Easy Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth or veggie broth
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices, see note
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes see note
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- For serving: fresh basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and butter to a soup pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and sauté it for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and flour, and cook it for about a minute.
- Stir (or whisk) in the chicken broth until the flour has dissolved.
- Add the canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, and cream to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a gentle boil.
- Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or so.
- If desired, blend the soup for a smoother consistency. I use an immersion blender and blend right in the pot, but you can transfer to a regular blender if desired (you may want to wait for it to cool a bit).
- Season with salt & pepper as needed (I am generous with both). If using the fresh basil, tear it into smaller pieces and stir it in prior to serving. Serve each bowl with freshly grated parmesan over top if desired.
Notes
- You could use dried basil instead of fresh – I use a few dashes and add it in at the same time as the Italian seasoning.
- I like using Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes (crushed and diced varieties for this recipe). You may use regular canned tomatoes, but fire-roasted are more flavorful.
- If you don’t want the cream, you can add a bit less or leave it out, but IMO the soup won’t be as tasty. I don’t recommend subbing half-and-half or something with less fat, because the acid from the tomatoes will likely curdle/separate it, and the soup will look a bit grainy.
- This recipe also appears on page 166 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on February 27, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
First time making tomato soup. Was so easy. My husband said it was the best soup he’s ever had. Liquid gold.
That’s wonderful to hear, Sarah! 😀 Thank you!
I have lots of fresh to tomatoes that I want to use. Can anyone give me the ratio using fresh tomatoes vs canned?
Appreciate
I canned farm fresh Roma tomatoes 🍅 every summer,, this recipe was a great way to use up tomatoes from last Summer, it was fantastic! To get that fire roasted flavor I used one small can of store bought tomatoes and it was just perfect! If I have leftover soup, I freeze that to bring out when we need a nice warm bowl of soup, thank you Natasha for this lovely recipe! 😇🙌
You’re very welcome, Linda!! 😀 Thanks for your kind review!
Hubby and I are both sick with some kind of respiratory crud and tomato soup sounded good but I didn’t have any canned. This was so easy to put together and we both really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing. We will be having this tomato soup from now on!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!! Hope you feel better soon, Sarah! Thanks for your review.