This Creamy Tomato Soup is easy, comforting, and has a rich flavor profile. Watch the easy video tutorial and you’ll be craving a bowl of tomato soup paired with a gooey Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

You can make this tomato soup creamy or chunky if you prefer, but we love creamy soup recipes from Creamy Sweet Potato Soup to our velvety Carrot Soup and definitely Creamy Potato Soup.

Creamy tomato soup served with grilled cheese sandwich

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My husband never loved tomato soup until he tried this Creamy Tomato Soup. The addition of parmesan and just 1/2 cup of cream makes it so satisfying. It’s also a quick and easy 30-minute soup that keeps well in the fridge. We love it all year round and whip up a batch any time we are craving Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tomato Soup Video Tutorial

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Ingredients for Tomato Basil Soup

Since this is a tomato-based soup, it is important to offset the acidity with some key ingredients. We use a combination of cream, parmesan, and a little sugar to balance the soup.

  • Butter – use unsalted butter to sautee onions
  • Yellow onion – it seems like a ton of onion but it dissapears into the soup adding a balanced sweetness
  • Garlic – you’ll need 1 Tbsp minced from about 3 cloves
  • Crushed tomatoes – with their juice, preferably San Marzano tomatoes
  • Chicken stock – for the best flavor use homemade chicken broth
  • Basil – chop and add 1/4 cup fresh basil, plus more to serve. Basil leaves are easily bruised so chop by stacking a bunch of leaves then roll them into a log and cut into thin strips.
  • Sugar – It’s just 1 Tbsp, but necessary to combat the tomato acidity.
  • Black pepper – start with 1/2 tsp and add more to taste
  • Whipping cream – adds a creaminess to the soup and offsets acidity.
  • Parmesan cheese – adds saltiness to the soup and balances acidity. Adding parmesan adds enough salt and I usually don’t add more.
Ingredients homemade tomato soup with crushed tomatoes

How to Make Tomato Soup

  1. Saute Aromatics – heat a non-reactive pot over medium heat. Melt in 4 Tbsp butter then sautee onions until softened and golden (10-12 min). Add minced garlic and saute another minute.
  2. Make the tomato soup base – stir in two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes with their juice, your chicken stock, chopped basil, sugar and black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, partially cover and simmer 10 minutes.
  3. Blend if desired – use an immersion blender in the pot or blend in batches using a blender (be careful not to overfill the blender with hot liquid) and return soup to the pot.
  4. Add cream and parmesan – stir in the heavy cream and shredded parmesan. Return to a simmer and season to taste if needed.
  5. Serve – ladle into warm bowls and garnish with more parmesan and basil.

Pro Tip: If you prefer a chunky soup with bits of tomato (like our Broccoli Cheese Soup), you can skip the blending step and proceed with adding cream and parmesan then season to taste.

Step by step how to make tomato soup

Important: Use a Non-Reactive Pot

Since this soup is tomato-based it is important to use a non-reactive pot. Avoid aluminum, cast iron, and copper which are all made of metals that can react with tomatoes and make the soup taste metallic.

Non-reactive pots that work well include: Stainless steel, enamel-coated cast iron, ceramic, and glass. We used our 5 1/2 Qt enamel-coated dutch oven pot.

Tomato basil soup cooked in dutch oven nonreactive pot

Common Questions

Can I substitute canned whole tomatoes?

You can use canned whole peeled tomatoes, but crush them by pulsing in a food processor before adding to the pot. Be sure to season to taste if substituting.

Can I use dried basil?

You can substitute the fresh basil with about 1 Tbsp of dried basil for the soup. I suggest adding dried basil when you add the crushed tomatoes to give them a chance to soften. Dried herbs work great in soups, but should not be used for garnish.

Can I use fresh tomatoes?

You’ll need to make your own crushed tomatoes which can be a time-consuming process. We find it is much simpler to buy crushed tomatoes.

What stock do you use for tomato soup?

We love chicken bone broth because it has a great depth of flavor, but you can substitute it with vegetable broth to keep this a vegetarian soup.

What if my soup is too sour or acidic?

Make sure you aren’t using a reactive pot (see above) and add more sugar and cream to taste to balance the acidity.

Bowl of creamy tomato soup garnished with parmesan and basil

How to Serve Tomato Soup

  • Grilled Cheese – tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect match (try dipping the sandwich into the soup).
  • Parmesan – add shredded parmesan while the soup is hot so it melts over the top.
  • Fresh Basil – sprinkle the top with thinly sliced basil.
  • Croutons – sprinkle crunchy croutons over the soup.
  • Toast – simple toasted bread or crostini (like we made for Bruschetta) are great for dunking into the soup.
Serving tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich

More Comforting Soups

If you love this Tomato Soup, then you won’t want to miss these cozy soup recipes from our easy Chicken Noodle Soup to luxurious Beef Stew. There’s something here for everyone.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

4.99 from 846 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Creamy tomato soup garnished with cheese and basil
Our go-to creamy tomato soup recipe. Adding parmesan and heavy cream makes it so satisfying and balances the acidity. It’s also a quick and easy 30-minute soup that keeps well in the fridge. We love this Tomato Basil Soup paired with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 people (1 cup servings)
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 yellow onions, (3 cups finely chopped)
  • 3 garlic cloves, (1 Tbsp minced)
  • 56 oz crushed tomatoes, (two, 28-oz cans) with their juice, preferably San Marzano
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more to serve
  • 1 Tbsp sugar, or added to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or to taste to combat acidity
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more to serve

Instructions

  • Heat a nonreactive pot or enameled dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter then add chopped onions. Sauté 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Add crushed tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, chopped basil, sugar (or add sugar to taste), and black pepper. Stir together and bring to a boil then reduce heat, partially cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • You can leave your soup with a chunky consistency, but if you like a blended/creamy soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot to desired consistency or transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth (being careful not to over-fill the blender with hot liquid and pulse a few times initially to get it started), then return blended soup to the pot over medium heat.
  • Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed and turn off the heat.*
  • Ladle into warm bowls and top with more parmesan and chopped fresh basil.

Notes

*Some crushed tomatoes can seem tangier. If the soup seems too acidic or sour, you can add more heavy cream and sugar to taste. 

Nutrition Per Serving

222kcal Calories22g Carbs7g Protein14g Fat8g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat4g Monounsaturated Fat1g Trans Fat40mg Cholesterol422mg Sodium710mg Potassium4g Fiber12g Sugar895IU Vitamin A21mg Vitamin C140mg Calcium3mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
222
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
 
8
g
50
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Cholesterol
 
40
mg
13
%
Sodium
 
422
mg
18
%
Potassium
 
710
mg
20
%
Carbohydrates
 
22
g
7
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
12
g
13
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
895
IU
18
%
Vitamin C
 
21
mg
25
%
Calcium
 
140
mg
14
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy tomato soup, tomato soup
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 222

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Naomi
    March 27, 2024

    This was amazing and so easy! I’ve tried different recipes including a famous tv chef very complicated timely recipe. This one is by far the best.

    Reply

  • Robyn
    March 24, 2024

    This soup is delicious.
    Can you freeze it for meal preparation with the cream?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 24, 2024

      Thank you, Robyn. You can freeze and make this ahead.

      Reply

  • Jessica
    March 23, 2024

    Love your recipe! I was craving grilled cheese and tomato soup but when I looked in the pantry I found I was out of condensed soup. I always use milk instead of water because I like it creamy. Sooooo I googled creamy tomato soup and stumbled upon your recipe. I had all of the ingredients so I proceeded. This soup was so simple, fast and delicious I don’t think I’ll ever buy condensed tomato soup again…. as nostalgic as it is!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 24, 2024

      That’s awesome, Jessica! I’m so glad you found this recipe! Thank you for the feedback.

      Reply

  • Vanesa
    March 22, 2024

    This was truly the easiest and yummiest tomato soup, thank you so much!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 22, 2024

      You’re very welcome!

      Reply

  • Bob Zysko
    March 22, 2024

    If I make again I would cut back on the onion. One medium would be plenty. The two in this recipe made for an overwhelming oniony flavor. I also used half-n-half instead of heavy cream and it worked fine.

    Reply

  • Dave
    March 19, 2024

    This is by far the best tomato soup we have ever eaten. We gave some away to two neighbors and they are raving about your soup.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 20, 2024

      Thank you, Dave! We appreciate it.

      Reply

  • Matt
    March 19, 2024

    This is a delicious recipe. Easy to make. I only used one medium yellow onion and it was more than enough! I also added some red pepper flakes, celery salt and oregano to match my flavor preferences.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 20, 2024

      Sounds great! Thanks a lot for sharing, Matt.

      Reply

  • LeeAnn Jaramillo
    March 19, 2024

    Love this tomato soup, I will always make it when I am craving tomato soup!!!

    Reply

  • Marcus B
    March 18, 2024

    I have some left over tomatoes that I dont know what to do with and was in the mood for some soup, hence why im here! I dont want them to go to waste and buy canned crushed tomatoes. How do I make the crushed tomatoes for this recipe?
    Thank you and hoping to try it! Sounds delicious

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 18, 2024

      Hi Marcus! I’m glad you found this recipe. I don’t have a recipe written for crushed tomatoes that I can share. It’s fairly easy to do by boiling, peeling, and cutting, then crushing in a food processor.
      I would look up a recipe online to watch the process.

      Reply

    • Tonya
      March 18, 2024

      You can baked the tomatoes on 400* for ~25 minutes or so. If you do this, also add raw onions and garlic. Toss raw tomatoes/onions/garlic with olive oil and season well. Spread out on pan and bake in a preheated oven. After they are soft and charred a bit, remove and let cool down. Then blend or purée until smooth and add the other ingredients in the recipe.

      Reply

    • Debbie L
      March 18, 2024

      My go to recipe when I have a craving for tomato soup. I’m making for the third time tomorrow. I love that it freezes well!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        March 18, 2024

        Awesomne and yes, it freezes well and you can make this ahead!

        Reply

  • Daniela
    March 11, 2024

    Great recipe! Making it for second time and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 11, 2024

      Thank you for your awesome comments, Daniela!

      Reply

  • Sindhu
    March 9, 2024

    Tasting amazing! I added a little extra cream to make to make it less strong.

    Reply

  • elaine augustine
    March 8, 2024

    This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Thank you!

    Reply

  • Savannah
    March 6, 2024

    This recipe is very good!! Me and my momma made it together!! Thank you for sharing your yummy recipes with us, Natasha!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 7, 2024

      You’re very welcome, Savanah!

      Reply

      • Karen J.
        March 20, 2024

        I made this soup for our church’s Soup Cook-Off and won 3rd prize. I used 2 t. dried basil because my grocery was out of fresh. So good! The depth of flavor was amazing. Quick and easy, I will absolutely be making this again!

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          March 20, 2024

          Hi Karen! That’s great to hear. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

          Reply

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