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Classic Tomato Soup
Made from pantry staples, this tomato soup is delicious topped with croutons or paired with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Adapted from Fine Cooking magazine, this vibrant tomato soup made from canned tomatoes is my go-to in the fall and winter when fresh tomatoes are out of season. Top the soup with croutons, fresh basil, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano — or, for a heartier meal, serve it with gooey grilled cheese sandwiches.
What you’ll need to make Classic tomato soup
How to make Classic Tomato Soup
In a large nonreactive pot, 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. 
Add 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 Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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Classic Tomato Soup
Made from pantry staples, this tomato soup is delicious topped with croutons or paired with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 medium yellow onions, chopped (about 3-1/2 cups)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes or 2 (26-ounce) boxes Pomi chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 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, 1-1/4 teaspoons 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 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: If you can't find Pomi boxed tomatoes, use canned. Just be sure to cook the soup a little longer, about 40 minutes.
- 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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can 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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Reviews & Comments
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Just finished this for tomorrow’s lunch. Absolutely delicious! The flavor of the tomatoes is so good (used Cento Italian canned). I added a bit of cream at the end only as I had some I needed to use. It mellowed the tomatoes just a bit. So good! I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow! Thanks, Jenn!
Hi Jenn!
this recipe looks delicious – what are your thoughts on using a vegetable stock?
I am HUGE fan – thank you so much for all of your amazing recipes!
thanks,
Lisa
Hi Lisa, It’s perfectly fine to use vegetable stock here. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Love this soup! Forgive me if I have overlooked this info, but what is the serving size? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Glad you like it. I would guesstimate that a serving is about 1-1/2 cups.
Just made this for the first time and it is amazingly delicious! I used San Marzano canned whole tomatoes which I think makes a huge difference in flavor. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing all these recipes. I’ve yet to try one that I did not like.
This was very good. The fresh basil is a wonderful addition. I had some fresh vegetable broth so used that. Now I know why I don’t enjoy canned soup. Fresh is so much better.
I haven’t made this yet but plan to after all the great reviews. We are vegetarian, so I will sub in veggie stock for the chicken stock. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
I’ve been making this recipe for years and glad to see it featured on the blog email today. I add fresh or frozen basil at the end. The quality of the tomatoes used makes a big difference in flavor. If you can afford San Marzanos or other tomatoes from Italy, their flavors are more intense than American-grown canned tomatoes, and greatly improve the soup.
I’m always at a loss when it says “salt to taste”, how much should I start with 2 teaspoons? Thanks, Ally-O in NJ
Hi Ally, Although the ingredient list just says salt, if you look at the instructions in the recipe, you’ll see that it calls for 1-1/4 teaspoons. The only salt to taste is after you’ve prepared and blended the soup. At that point, if you feel like you need more salt, I’d start with just a pinch. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy!
Thanks Jenn! I only looked at the ingredients , DUH! 🙂