Tomato Soup
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Nothing beats a bowl of homemade tomato soup on a chilly day! This easy recipe is a classic favorite that pairs perfectly with a grilled cheese sandwich.
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 delicious crunch, and you can easily make them while the soup simmers. If you’re in the mood for something heartier, pair it with stromboli or grilled cheese—or for a fun twist, try grilled cheese croutons!
If you love classic Italian soups, be sure to try my minestrone soup, packed with veggies, beans, and pasta in a rich tomato broth, or zuppa Toscana, a hearty favorite featuring Italian sausage and fresh veggies in a creamy broth.
“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: Form the flavor base of the soup.
- All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the soup and adds body.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup along with the tomatoes. Adds a savory flavor. It’s fine to substitute vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes: San Marzano canned tomatoes are preferred for their sweet, less acidic taste and meaty texture, but any good-quality canned tomatoes will work. While fresh tomatoes are an option, canned tomatoes aren’t just a backup plan—they’re a kitchen essential. Picked at peak ripeness and canned within hours, they deliver consistent flavor and quality, especially when fresh tomatoes aren’t at their best.
- 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 and pop of color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter melts, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and let it cook for a few more minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.
Stir in the flour and keep cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This helps get rid of the raw flour taste and smooths out any lumps.
Pour in the chicken broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Give everything a good stir while bringing it to a simmer over medium-high heat, making sure the flour isn’t sticking to the bottom or sides of the pan. Once it’s bubbling, lower the heat, cover, and let it gently simmer for about 30 minutes.
Use a hand-held immersion blender to puree the soup until silky smooth. If you’re using a regular blender, let the soup cool slightly first, then blend in batches—just be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to let the steam escape. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Finally, stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. This step is the secret to giving the soup a extra richness, making it even more delicious.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil, croutons, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. The soup will keep nicely in the fridge for up to 4 days; it can also be frozen for for up to 3 months.
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 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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Hi Jenn! It’s Dana’s friend Rachel (from Philly). How do you think this would do with veggie broth instead of chicken broth? Would I need to make any other adjustments?
Hi Rachel! It’s perfectly fine to use vegetable broth with no other adjustments. Enjoy! 🙂
Love this recipe!!
Please advise regarding the “Rinse the pot.” Instructions in the photo-recipe instructions. If I purée my soup in the Dutch oven in which I cooked it with an immersion blender, any reason I can’t serve it directly from the pot?
Hi Lee, glad you like the soup! Rinsing the pot really isn’t necessary – I just deleted it from the recipe. Sorry for any confusion!
Followed recipe to the letter, fabulous soup. I also made the Leek and Potato at the same time.. I’m a zero confident cook and this website is like finding treasure! Recipes with the level of detail I really need and they are ‘bullet proof’. Also I can’t host and cook at same time (I go to pieces) so I absolutely love the ‘make ahead and freeze‘ recipes. When younger I used to love cooking, but over time the joy disappeared and it was just pure stress, but cooking with Jenn is a lovely experience for me. Thank you so much Jenn for the wonderful content on your website.
So glad you enjoyed it (and that the recipes have helped you enjoy cooking again)!
OK, I blew it! Somehow I wasn’t paying attention and added double the flour to the soup which I am cooking now. Too much soup to double the recipe, any suggetions?
Multi tasking doesn’t work, arghh.
Hi Cathy, I may be weighing in too late to help, but you can thin the soup out with a bit more chicken broth. Hope it turned out okay!!
Thanks for this tasty soup recipe! I used canned Italian Whole Roma Tomatoes and I will take the time to strain out the seeds when I make it again to improve the texture; my immersion blender did not break up the seeds. Trying to cut fat, so didn’t add the butter at the end…..the flavour of the soup is brilliant. Thanks again
Can you use pomi strained tomatoes?
Yes, I use Pomi tomatoes in this. Enjoy!
How many cans (400g) of tomatoes should use for this recipe?
Thanks
You’ll need 2. Hope you enjoy!
First of all, your recipes fit my family and myself wonderfully. I noticed you adapted this recipe from Fine Cooking which is my favorite Tomato Soup recipe and wanted to compare the two recipes. So here goes:
First, if not for your having the same pot as you use pictured, I would probably have used the wrong size.
Second, your rendition of the Fine Cooking recipe was changed enough to have altered the taste and texture significantly, but We love both recipes equally.
My wife had a significant ski accident last winter, so I am the designated cook for about two years. I love to cook, but our child judges say I need more practice, so I will be checking out the “Once Upon A Chef” book and on line for quite a while to come. Thank You! Dr. Bruce Turner
Hi Bruce, Thanks for your feedback on the recipe and I’m so sorry about your wife’s accident! I hope she continues to recover smoothly.
I just finished cooking this and it tasted amazing! It took a little longer than I anticipated (around 2 and a half hours) but think that is because I used canned tomatoes. This soup paired with a grilled cheese sandwich makes one heck of a meal!
Amazing, best ever ! I used canned crushed tomatoes that I had on hand. It worked perfect. I served with homemade croutons.
I’ve never made tomato soup before and decided to try your recipe, since everything else I’ve made from your site is so good. As expected, this was delicious! We had it for dinner yesterday with grilled cheese sandwiches and everyone enjoyed it. Thanks!
I have made this recipe 2 months ago, so delicious 😋 I am making it again tomorrow with grilled cheese. This soup is a family favorite. Thank you!
Elaine – August 20, 2020