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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Summer in the middle of winter! Great recipe to use with great CT local ingredients (jarred tomatoes from a CT farm)
I enjoyed this soup except I thought the thyme was a little too strong for my personal taste. I would cut the thyme in 1/2 (maybe even less) next time I make it. I pureed it in a blender since I don’t have an immersion blender. It made it super smooth and creamy but I feel like an immersion blender would be a lot faster with less clean up. I really liked how this recipe didn’t require any cream. Thank you for another great recipe!
Made your tasty Classic Tomato Soup last weekend, and my family enjoyed every spoonful. Another recipe from your collection that is a proven winner! You never let me down! Can’t wait until your cookbook arrives!
This recipe is great, but for my personal taste preferences (and if you have a little more time on your hands) I roast fresh Roma or plum tomatoes (other types of tomatoes make the soup more watery and dilute the taste) in the oven with some garlic. Instead of using dried herbs, fresh rosemary and thyme really add a nice touch to the flavor.
I have made this soup twice. The first time I would give it a 4.0+ , but I did not use the Pomi tomatoes and just used some canned chopped tomatoes that were in the pantry. Still a very flavorful soup. The last batch was with the Pomi tomatoes… WOW what a difference. Great with your favorite grilled cheese.
Just made this again for the third time today – every time I make it, I’m amazed by how good it is!!! I make exactly as written (except once I only had sweet onions on hand and used those – it was still great, but I found the end result was a little too sweet for my taste. I totally should’ve thought about it before adding the full amount of sugar!) I always serve this with your broiled feta with garlicky cherry tomatoes and capers – it’s become our family’s take on grilled cheese and tomato soup, and even my picky three year old (who strangely does not like grilled cheese sandwiches) gobbles it all up. Thanks again for your perfected recipes! And your cookbook is on my Christmas wish list – so someone in my family should be preordering it soon!
Su
😊
This is my favorite tomato soup recipe ever! Last week I made it with San Marizano tomatoes, yes a splurge in price but they were all I had in the pantry. It was even more sweet and delicious than usual. My family loved it!
Btw, this soup freezes well, just reheat gently on the stovetop.
I made this vegetarian by using Imagine unchicken broth. I also added cooked quinoa which is a complete protein. It’s a substantial meal by itself (although a grilled cheese sandwich on the side doesn’t hurt!).
I made this soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for my father and the soup was delicious! I used a hand-held immersion blender, but there were still tiny onions (maybe I didn’t blend long enough with the wand). After we ate, I read other reviews that the soup was very smooth so I decided to put all the leftovers in the blender and that did make a huge difference, there were no more tiny onion pieces. When my husband had it for lunch the next day, he even commented on how smooth it was. I’ll go straight for the blender next time. I kept the leftovers in the blender pitcher and it was so easy to pour into bowls to serve. Will definitely be making this one again, wonderful flavor!
Question: my Mother, when she would make tomato soup, at the end she would add some baking soda. Was this to take the acid out? How much needs to be added?
Correct – it helps to neutralize the acid in the tomatoes. I don’t believe you need to add much – maybe start with 1/4 tsp. and add more if you think it’s necessary.