This Homemade Tomato Soup calls for just 5 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen! So simple, but the flavor is amazing and our whole family loves this recipe. Serve with grilled cheese, croutons, or crackers!
If you’ve read my blog for long you probably know that my husband travels quite a bit for work.
He ends up eating out quite a bit and often asks what we’re having for dinner with a hint of sadness in his voice.
He’s not usually much of a soup fan (unless it’s our crockpot chicken and dumplings or hearty cabbage roll soup), so when I told him I was making tomato soup and grilled cheese awhile back I was really surprised to hear him tell me how good that sounded.
I thought maybe it was just a bit homesickness talking, but I served it to him when he was home that weekend and he has been asking for it ever since.
Tomato soup + grilled cheese is basically comfort food at it’s best and you guys are going to LOVE my homemade tomato soup recipe. It’s literally the best and it could not be easier.
Table of Contents
Expert Tips:
Tomatoes: We’re starting with canned whole tomatoes. We buy the best we’re able to find for this recipe, since the tomatoes are the star of the show. I’ll often buy generic canned goods, but in this recipe I look for the best product I can find at my local store, which is usually Cento or Red Gold.
Blender: I use and love an immersion blender for making this soup. Keeps clean up extra easy and is just a simple process. You can also make this with a regular blender, but be careful to vent the lid so that the hot steam can release.
Seasoning: We keep it very simple with onion, garlic, and salt in this recipe for that classic flavor. But you can easily stir in fresh herbs, cracked pepper, and even other veggies (try roasted red peppers)!
Toppings: Dressing up tomato soup a bit with your favorite toppings really makes it special. We love homemade croutons or crumbled crackers and a drizzle of heavy cream. A sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh basil is always a nice touch as well.
What Readers are Saying!
“My favorite tomato soup. I’ve been making this for years. At the end, I add 1/4 cup of half and half and top with thinly sliced fresh basil. Thank you for a simple, comforting, and delicious recipe!” – Kim P.
Recipe
Homemade Tomato Soup
Homemade tomato soup with just a handful of ingredients! Thick, creamy, and a total classic.
3.70 from 40 votes
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Prep5 minutes minutes
Cook45 minutes minutes
Total50 minutes minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 large sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- salt to taste
Instructions
Add the butter to a deep pot and melt over medium heat. Once melted add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
Add the tomatoes (with juice) and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Transfer soup to a blender and carefully puree soup. Alternately, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
Taste and season with salt, as desired.
Tips & Notes:
For the homemade croutons, chop up fresh bread to make 1 cup of bread chunks. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a hot skillet and melt. Add the bread and season with a sprinkling of garlic salt. Stir often until toasted.
Top soup with croutons and freshly grated Parmesan.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1bowl| Calories: 181kcal (9%)| Carbohydrates: 14g (5%)| Protein: 4g (8%)| Fat: 12g (18%)| Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)| Cholesterol: 32mg (11%)| Sodium: 516mg (22%)| Potassium: 516mg (15%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 8g (9%)| Vitamin A: 580IU (12%)| Vitamin C: 20.9mg (25%)| Calcium: 79mg (8%)| Iron: 2.2mg (12%)
Author: Karly Campbell
Course:Soup
Cuisine:American
Keyword:soup recipes
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Ingredient Notes:
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Tomatoes – I’m using canned whole tomatoes in this recipe. They are already peeled and they’re great for blending. Use a good quality canned product here since this will be the star of the show.
Garlic & Onion – You’ll heat some melted butter along with the garlic and onion on the stove for a minute or two to bring out the flavors. They’ll get mixed in with the tomatoes and chicken stock.
Chicken Broth – Use a good quality chicken broth or stock when making this soup as it will definitely add a lot of flavor!
What We Love About This Recipe:
- Flavor: The tomatoes in this recipe might come from a can but this soup beats out the premade cans of tomato soup every single time.
- Comforting: It’s hard to beat a big bowl of tomato soup for comfort food! This recipe is a classic and perfect for cold fall and winter nights too. Serve it with some homemade croutons and grilled cheese!
- Pantry Staple: With just 5 ingredients that we always keep on hand, this soup can be made anytime the craving hits.
How To Make Tomato Soup:
Saute: Add some butter, half of an onion, and some garlic to your soup pot and cook until the butter melts and the garlic is fragrant.
Simmer: Add the whole peeled tomatoes and chicken broth and bring that to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then to keep the bottom from burning.
Blend: I use an immersion blender for this and that’s definitely the easiest method. But, if you don’t have one, you can also transfer the hot soup to a traditional blender. Just be careful when working with hot liquids in your blender and always read your manual. We don’t want anyone getting hurt!
Serve: I’m topping my soup off with some homemade croutons and a little freshly grated Parmesan. See below for more on the croutons!
And don’t forget the grilled cheese! Check out this easy air fryer grilled cheese recipe. It’s perfectly crisp with lots of melty cheese and it could definitely use some homemade tomato soup to go with it!
How To Make Homemade Croutons:
The homemade croutons are OH MY GOODNESS SO GOOD in this easy tomato soup.
I just chop up a nice crusty bread into small pieces and add it to a hot pan with melted butter and garlic salt. Stir them around to toast and then pop ’em right in your soup.
The croutons soak up the soup like crackers do, but they’re oh so much better than a cracker could ever dream of being.
Some good choices for bread include French or Italian such as baguettes or ciabatta, sourdough bread, and pretty much any other crusty type of bread.
Storage & Freezing:
Your leftover tomato soup will last for about 4 days in the refrigerator in a covered bowl. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
To freeze tomato soup, let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe dish. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
FAQ’s:
How to store tomato soup?
You can keep any leftover tomato soup stored in a covered container in your fridge for about 3 to 4 days.
What is the best pairing for tomato soup?
We nearly always pair our tomato soup with a grilled cheese. The sandwich is delicious dunked right in the soup. Other options include crushed crackers, peanut butter sandwiches (try it!), or a green salad.
Are canned tomatoes good for soup?
Whole peeled canned tomatoes are the perfect option for tomato soup all year long. Tomatoes are peeled and canned within hours of harvesting, which makes for a fresh flavor and high quality that can be hard to find in fresh tomatoes during the winter months.
MORE HOMEMADE SOUP RECIPES!
- Cheeseburger Soup Recipe: All the classic cheeseburger flavors in a soup!
- Crockpot Potato Soup: Another classic recipe that’s a hit with my whole family!
- Ham and Bean Soup: I make this one in my Instant Pot!
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup: Just like the one you get from the Italian joint!
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup: Healthy and loaded with lots of veggies!
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup: Creamy, cheesy, and low carb!
This recipe was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2024 with new photos. Original photo below.
