Homemade Tomato Soup is such a classic recipe and you are bound to love this version. Made with easy to find ingredients, but deep in flavor, this is a winner!
There are few things that are more comforting than a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. But next time the craving hits, skip the canned soup. This homemade version is far more delicious while also being so easy to make. You will love this elevated soup with its deep and delicious flavors.
How to Make Tomato Soup
Here is a brief overview of how this homemade tomato soup recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add carrots, onion, and garlic to a large stockpot along with the seasonings. Cook until the onion is tender, about five minutes.
- Add the stock and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup. Read more on blending soup below. Enjoy while warm.
Immersion Blender
Blending Soup
To get the perfect smooth texture for this easy tomato soup, we blend everything together at the end. Not only is it more enjoyable to eat this way, but you don’t notice the extra veggies which is great for those picky eaters.
Use an immersion blender in the pot or a stand-up blender in batches to blend the soup until smooth.
Grilled Cheese
Nothing quite goes together quite as well and tomato soup and grilled cheese. I love to make grilled cheese sandwiches in the air fryer. They come out perfect every time.
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Adjusting The Soup
One of the best parts of making things homemade rather than buying it in a can is being able to customize the flavor to be exactly how you like it.
- Adding sugar: This recipe uses a small amount of sugar to help balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Just like in my spaghetti sauce, adding sugar perfects the flavor without making the soup sweet. If you taste the soup and it still tastes acidic, add another 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.
- Add more spice: If you want a little more kick to your soup, add more crushed red pepper flakes.
- Make it creamy: To make a creamy tomato soup, stir in a splash of heavy cream just before serving.
- Make it vegetarian or vegan: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock to make a vegetarian tomato soup. Use olive oil to make a vegan tomato soup.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover tomato basil soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave, covered to avoid splattering, or in a small saucepan over low heat until heated through, stirring often.
Freezing Tomato Soup
This is a great soup to make a big batch and freeze some for later. Once the soup has completely cooled, transfer it to freezer-safe bags or containers, leaving some room at the top for it to expand. I like to freeze this soup in individual portions which are perfect for heating up for lunch.
When you are ready to eat, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then heat in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.
FAQ
Part of the convenience of this recipe is using canned tomatoes, which are already cooked and peeled. If you want to make this recipe with fresh tomatoes, you will need to cook and peel them first.
Yes! Fresh or dried basil will work in this recipe, just be sure to blend it well so the basil is well combined.
This is a great soup to freeze! I love to make a double batch just to freeze half. See my steps for freezing above.
None of the ingredients in this soup contain gluten, but I always recommend double-checking your ingredients when cooking for someone who can’t have gluten.
What to EatWith Tomato Soup
A grilled cheese and tomato soup is a tried and true combination but here are some other ideas for what else to serve with the soup!
If you make this tomato basil soup recipe or any of my other recipes, I would be so grateful if you came back to tell me how you enjoyed it!
Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (start with half if using table salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock (453.5 grams or 473.2 ml)
- 28 ounces whole tomatoes undrained (794 grams)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add carrots, onion, and garlic, and season with basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 carrots, 1 small red onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Add in the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking, covered, for 15 minutes. The bubbles should be the size of small grapes.2 cups chicken stock, 28 ounces whole tomatoes
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings. The soup will likely need 2 teaspoons of sugar to balance out the acidity of the canned tomatoes. Add more salt and pepper as needed.2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Either using an immersion blender or working in batches with a stand blender, puree the soup.
Mary Jane Strong says
I use a bit of apple to sweeten my tomatoes. Taught to me by my Italian mother in law! Works every time!!!