Tomato Soup
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A pot of homemade tomato soup is always a good idea—especially when there’s a grilled cheese sandwich waiting on the side.
This tomato soup recipe is my go-to during the chilly fall and winter months when fresh tomatoes are out of season. It comes together with canned tomatoes and pantry staples, but the finished soup tastes far fresher than you’d expect. Instead of relying on cream, the tomatoes are blended until silky on their own. One little trick I always use is adding a pinch of sugar. It might seem unconventional, but it helps balance the tomatoes’ natural acidity.
For serving, garnish the soup with store-bought or homemade croutons, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. 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!
For more classic Italian soups, be sure to try my minestrone, pasta fagioli and zuppa Toscana—all hearty favorites.
“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
To make the tomato soup, you’ll need olive oil, unsalted butter, onions, garlic, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, canned whole peeled tomatoes, sugar, dried thyme, and fresh basil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the aromatics. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook a few minutes more, being careful not to let it brown.
Step 2: Add the flour. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to remove the raw taste and prevent lumps.
Step 3: Simmer the soup. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to loosen any flour from the bottom or sides of the pot. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Purée. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. If using a regular blender, let the soup cool slightly, then purée in batches with the lid vented. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
Pro Tip: If you prefer more texture in your soup, feel free to either skip this step or only partially purée it.
Step 5: Finish with butter. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter for added richness and flavor.
Step 6: Garnish and serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
More Comforting Soups You’ll Love
Classic Tomato Soup
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 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 (28-oz) 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.)
Notes
- A nonreactive pot is made of a material that will not react negatively 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/Freezing 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
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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Can cornstarch be added instead of the flour for thickening? Dealing with gluten sensitivity.
Hi Jamie, You can use cornstarch, but you’ll add it after blending the soup. Make a “slurry” by combining a 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water; mix until completely smooth. Whisk half of the slurry into the soup and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer until the broth is thickened and any starchy taste has been cooked away. If you want it thicker, add the remaining slurry and repeat. Enjoy!
This soup is delicious and easy to make! We served it with grilled cheese sandwiches (and yes, dunked them) and it was phenomenal. Thanks, Jenn!
Is it necessary to add the butter at the end? I would prefer not to add it because of the added fat/cholesterol.
Hi Karen, It’s totally fine to leave it out. Enjoy!
I think my onions must have been far too strong, because this ended up tasting more like an onion soup than a tomato one. However, I managed to turn it into an excellent curry base, so it all worked out great in the end!
This homeade Tomato soup was a big hit! The flavor was lovely & it was simple to make. I didn’t have a blender so just used a manual potato masher and it worked out fine💕
It was excellent, the garlic and thyme really added great flavor. I used fire roasted diced tomatoes because that’s what I had on hand and used the immersion blender at the end. It was delicious. Her chicken marsala is also excellent 😉 I know if I make one of her recipe sit’s going to come out good.
Such a wonderful recipe and it will go in to the winter soup rotation. I made this tonight with pantry staples and my kiddo said it was their new favorite dinner. I served with grilled cheese for dipping. I did cook the onions a touch longer than recommended to make sure they were really soft and buzzed well with immersion blender to get it smooth. I didn’t have whole tomatoes so used diced which I know isn’t ideal but it didn’t seem to affect things.
I’m eating a bowl of this soup as I send this review. I love, love, love this soup!!! So easy to make quickly and so delicious.
This soup is perfection! ❤️
Using my own tomatoes, especially San Marzanos, from my garden, I gave it a try. I had some that I had frozen already and that had been around for a bit, all cut up. Those were easy to get the skin off. I also had some fresh ones and my husband said to just got ahead and leave the skin on. Being lazy, I did so. We realized the texture wouldn’t be as smooth. Still, we ended up with a soup that was far better than I dreamed. What with the way tomatoes grow in my garden each year, I’m sure we’ll be making more over the years.
Flawless recipe exactly as it is.