This easy tomato soup is creamy, flavorful, and perfect for making the most of peak tomato season. It’s super affordable—especially if you’re working through a home-grown bounty. This is one of my favorite recipes. There’s nothing better than a warm bowl paired with a generous piece of crusty bread for lunch or a light dinner.
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Ingredients
🫒 Oil – Olive oil, or use your favorite oil that’s suitable for sautéing.
🧈 Butter – Use regular or unsalted butter, depending on your preference.
🧅 Produce – Yellow or white onion and garlic add flavor without overpowering the tomatoes. Fresh basil is the soup’s finishing touch.
🍅 Tomatoes – Vine-ripened, plum, roma, or other medium to large tomatoes will work well in this soup. Just make sure they’re nice and ripe.
🥫 Pantry – Tomato paste and white wine add another layer of flavor.
🫙 Broth – We use chicken broth. Use vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian.
🥛 Cream – Use half and half or heavy cream. If you’re using milk, go with whole milk—not reduced-fat or low-fat.
Prep work tips and notes
There’s not a lot of slicing and dicing with this easy tomato soup. Cut the tomatoes into quarters then cut each quarter into 2 or 3 pieces depending on their size.
Next, dice the onions, mince the garlic and measure out the remaining ingredients.
Wait to shred the basil right before adding it in to the soup. When you’re ready, stack the basil leaves. Put the larger ones on the bottom and smaller ones on top. Roll the leaves then run a sharp knife across the basil to make ribbons.
How to make tomato soup
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy pot and cook the onions until they start to soften.
- Next, add more flavor with the garlic, black pepper and tomato paste.
- Deglaze the pot with a little white wine. If you don’t use wine, then substitute broth.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken broth to the pot and simmer the tomatoes until they break apart.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the shredded basil.
- Process the soup in the pot with an immersion blender or a regular blender (see recipe tips and notes).
- Return the pot to low heat, stir in the cream and heat until warmed through. Do not let the soup come to a boil.
- Taste the soup and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we added 1 teaspoon to ours. Garnish the soup with basil leaves, if desired.
Storing and reheating
Store leftover tomato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool until it’s no longer hot, then refrigerate until completely chilled. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving 1 to 2 inches at the top to allow for expansion. Label and date the container. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
Reheat the soup gently in a saucepan over medium-low to low heat, stirring occasionally. Avoid bringing it to a full boil, as the cream could separate. Or, microwave until hot, using a microwave-safe container.
Food safety: Do not leave cooked food out at room temperature for more than 2 hours—or more than 1 hour if the ambient temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Recipe tips and notes
Blending Hot Liquids: An immersion blender (stick blender) is a convenient tool for blending hot soup directly in the pot. If using a regular blender, do not fill it to the top with hot liquid. Work in small batches. Remove the center piece (feeder cap) from the lid, then cover the lid with a clean, folded kitchen towel. Hold the towel down firmly and start blending on the lowest speed, increasing gradually if needed.
No Wine? You can substitute the wine with an equal amount of broth if you prefer to skip it.
Make It Vegetarian: Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian tomato soup.
Lower Sodium Option: Use low-sodium broth if you're sensitive to salt, adjust at the end if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Any ripe, fresh tomato will work well in this recipe. We’ve used roma, plum, and tomatoes on the vine—all with good results. Just aim for medium or large red tomatoes that are juicy and flavorful.
No, not for this recipe. We leave the peel on to keep things quick and easy. Peeling tomatoes adds extra steps and time, which takes away from the simplicity of the dish. That said, if you prefer a smoother texture or just want to peel them—go for it.
If you'd like to peel the tomatoes before cooking, here’s a simple method:
1. Use a sharp knife to score a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water.
3. Carefully place the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 30 seconds.
4. Transfer them immediately to the ice water to stop the cooking.
5. Once they’re cool, the skins should slip right off.
Blended, creamy soups are easy and convenient—everything cooks in one pot, and if you have an immersion blender, you can puree it right in the same pot. Like tomato soup, this creamy zucchini soup is perfect for summer. For something a little different, try this smooth and flavorful carrot ginger soup. And if you’re in the mood for a classic, this cream of asparagus soup won’t disappoint!
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📖 Recipe
Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ cup White Wine
- 2-2¼ pounds Ripe Tomatoes cut into roughly 1-2 inch pieces
- 3½ cups Chicken Broth
- 1 tablespoon Shredded Basil plus whole leaves for garnish, optional
- ¼ cup Half & Half or Heavy Cream
- Salt to taste when the soup is done
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted and starts to foam add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Next add the garlic, black pepper and tomato paste to the pot. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Carefully, add the white wine to the pot and cook for about 2-3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir frequently.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken broth to the pot and raise the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil (it will take about 4-5 minutes). As soon as it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the soup at a simmer, lower or raise the heat as needed.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the shredded basil.
- Let the soup cool for just a few minutes, then process the soup in the pot with an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a blender (see notes).
- Return the pot to low heat, stir in the half and half and heat until warmed through. Do not let the soup come to a boil.
- Taste the creamy tomato soup and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we added 1 teaspoon to ours.
- Garnish with basil leaves, if desired.
Notes
- Do not fill the blender to the top with hot liquid, process in small batches. Remove the center piece (feeder cap) from the blender lid. Replace the lid (without the feeder cap) and cover with a clean, folded kitchen towel. Hold the towel down while blending. Start at a very low speed and increase gradually if necessary.
- If you prefer not to use wine, substitute with an equal amount of broth.
- If you would like to keep the dish vegetarian, substitute the chicken broth with a vegetable broth.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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