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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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.