Tomato Soup
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Warm up with the ultimate comfort: this easy homemade tomato soup recipe transforms simple ingredients into a cozy, nourishing bowl of goodness.
This tomato soup is my go-to during the chilly fall and winter months when fresh tomatoes are out of season. It’s a simple recipe, using canned tomatoes and everyday pantry staples. The soup gets its creamy texture from blending the tomatoes themselves—no heavy cream required. A little chef’s trick I use is adding a bit of sugar. This might seem unconventional, but it perfectly balances the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
For serving, garnish the soup with croutons, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The croutons add a delightful crunch, and you can easily make them while the soup simmers. If you’re in the mood for something heartier, pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich—or for a fun twist, try grilled cheese croutons. This is one of my favorite soup recipes!
Table of Contents
“This was a great recipe…enough like the tomato soup of my childhood to be comforting, but MUCH better and fresher!”
What You’ll Need To Make Tomato Soup
- Olive Oil & Unsalted Butter: Used for sautéing onions, olive oil adds flavor while butter brings richness and adds body to the finished soup.
- Onions and Garlic: These form the aromatic base of the soup.
- All-Purpose Flour: It thickens the soup, adding a satisfying body.
- Chicken Broth: This liquid base infuses the soup with a subtle, savory flavor. It’s fine to substitute vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes: These are the star of the dish, so seek out the best quality. San Marzano tomatoes are preferred for their sweet, less acidic taste and meaty texture.
- Sugar: Added to balance the tomatoes’ acidity and enhance their natural sweetness.
- Dried Thyme: Provides an earthy flavor that complements the soup.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Adds a fresh, aromatic touch, perfect for tomato-based dishes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large pot (nonreactive) or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add the onions and cook over medium-low/medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Do not brown.
Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more, stirring to be sure garlic does not burn.
Stir in the flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom or sides of the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Use a hand-held immersion blender to puree soup until very smooth. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow steam to escape.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil, croutons, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Tomato soup can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
A nonreactive pot is made of a material that will not negatively react with acids, like tomatoes. Glass, stainless steel or enameled pots are all nonreactive. Nonstick pots are also okay but be sure there are no scratches in the non-stick coating.
Yes, but it’s worth noting that canned tomatoes are not just a backup option — they’re a true kitchen superstar. Harvested at their peak of ripeness and canned within hours, they offer consistently high quality and flavor, especially when fresh tomatoes aren’t available.
To use fresh tomatoes, start by selecting perfectly ripe tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, as they have fewer seeds and less water content. Blanch the tomatoes them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then transfer them to an ice water bath to make the skin easy to remove. Once peeled, they are ready to use. For this recipe, you will need approximately 12 to 14 plum tomatoes.
Video Tutorial
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Classic Tomato Soup
Warm up with the ultimate comfort: this easy homemade tomato soup recipe transforms simple ingredients into a cozy, nourishing bowl of goodness.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 medium yellow onions, chopped (about 3½ cups)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For Serving (Optional)
- Fresh chopped basil
- Croutons
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- In a large nonreactive pot (see note), heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more, stirring to be sure garlic does not burn. Add the flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, 1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom or sides of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 40 minutes.
- Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until very smooth. (Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and purée in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow steam to escape.) Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil, croutons, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired. (Nutritional information below does not include optional garnishes.)
- Note: A nonreactive pot is made of a material that will not negatively react with acids. Glass, stainless steel or enameled pots are all safe to use. Nonstick pots are also okay but be sure there are no scratches in the non-stick coating.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 212
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 682 mg
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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All I can say is WOW! I have made this classic tomato soup many times over and it never disappoints. I always make sure to keep a can of both tomatoes and white beans in the pantry “just in case.” I’ve made it with homemade chicken bone broth for a little extra taste. Freezes well too!
A classic. Can never go wrong, lovely to warm you up on a snowy day.
This was fantastic! I used fresh thyme instead of dried because it needed to be used up. I don’t know how much I used as I just eyeballed it. I also added in 3/4 tsp dried basil because I love thyme and basil together. Served it with your corn bread I made a few days before and the combination was to die for! My husband said it didn’t have that tinny taste that some tomato soups do. It does make a lot but that’s ok because you can freeze your leftovers. Great recipe.
Whenever I make your tomato soup, instead of adding sugar, I add a little bit of baking soda to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, which I find it does. Do you think that has the same effect as the sugar and if not, what’s the difference?
Hi Susie, I’ve never thought about that, but yes, I think that it would have the same impact.
Another jewel in your soup crown Jenn. Have accumulated cans of Cento San Marzano tomatoes which need using up, so to compensate for more volume, I used a little less chicken stock and added 1 tbsp of concentrated tomato paste. My neighborhood market does have Pomi tomatoes, are they richer? That’s why I added the tomato paste. Trader Joe’s organic chicken stock has pushed Swanson out of my cupboard. Much better. I recently treated myself to a set of Acacia wood Spurtles (Amazon). The long one has taken the place of my wooden spoon when making soup. It was perfect for making sure the flour did not stick to the pan. Check them out. All that aside, I loved the soup. Have some Gruyere that needs using up, so grilled cheese sandwiches will be on the menu with the soup. Maybe I will make the sandwiches and cut them into croutons to float on the soup. Please tell me about the Pomi tomatoes. Should I try them?
Hi Carol, glad you enjoyed this! I like Pomi tomatoes because most canned tomatoes have additives in them that help keep them in chunks. I like that Pomi is nothing but tomatoes. Regardless, either it’s fine. 🙂
when I reheated, I added a smidgeon of dried basil and the zest of a small lemon, loved that flavor profile even more
Love all your recipes! Thank You for making cooking yummy and fun! I have San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes, not diced can I use those instead? If someone asked this already I apologize, I looked but couldn’t find the answer. Thanks for your help.
Sure, you’ll be puréeing it anyway so whole tomatoes will work. Hope you enjoy!
My children say it’s best tomato soup ever tasted
This is delicious and perfect for a cold December day. Thank you!
Love this tomato soup – it makes A LOT! I froze the leftovers last time and they reheated beautifully. This time I’m making 1/2 the recipe because I have no room in my freezer. This recipe is definitely going to make me buy an immersion blender – doing it in a regular blender is no fun. It has to be done in batches, meaning you need other bowls/pots to keep what you have blended separate from what needs to be blended. It makes a mess. Great, healthy comfort food for a rainy day
This tomato soup was killer (that’s a good thing)! I have tried so many different grocery store tomato soups (canned, boxed, etc.) and I have always been disappointed. Tomato soup is a comfort food for me and your recipe was divine!!!! Thank you for ending my search for the right tomato soup (I froze the extra and will thaw and heat again on a rainy day).