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.
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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.
How to Make Tomato Soup
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add cream and parmesan – stir in the heavy cream and shredded parmesan. Return to a simmer and season to taste if needed.
- 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.
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.
Common Questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Make sure you aren’t using a reactive pot (see above) and add more sugar and cream to taste to balance the acidity.
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.
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.
Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Great, Great Soup. Best Internet Chef I have come across (and I follow many). Follow her ingredients and instructions exactly and you will not be disappointed. Thanks Natasha….
This is the BEST homemade tomato soup I have EVER made! Running it through the Vitamix (in batches) was key to getting that restaurant-quality smooth velvety texture. Everyone loved it – myself, husband, and 3 kids (ages 2-7). Will DEFINITELY be making this again and loved the idea to make/freeze before adding the dairy. I’ve made so many disappointing tomato soup recipes over the year that just taste like watery spaghetti sauce but this was top notch. Was sooooo good with grilled cheese!
I’m so happy you found a favorite on my blog, Molly! Thank you so much for sharing that thoughtful review with me!
I have an enamel coated cast iron Paderno dutch oven pot. Is it ok to use for this soup?
Hi Katherine! Yes, that works well. I hope you love the recipe!
Flavorful and super easy!
Not a fan of tomato soup but my husband wanted some to go with grilled cheese sandwiches. I offered to make some homemade soup because canned was not an option in my mind! I found this recipe and it seemed easy and quick. Let me tell you- it was both of those things but also incredibly delicious! I was making food noises with every bite. Went perfectly with my grilled cheese sandwich and I definitely will be making this again.
Looks like you need more cheese 🧀… hehehe
I added a chopped chilli 🌶 yum.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use tomato purée instead of crushed tomatoes for this recipe?
Hi Mary! That can work, but tomato purée tastes stronger and more concentrated than canned San Marzano (or other whole/crushed tomatoes). San Marzano tomatoes are milder, sweeter, and less acidic. If you use purée, you may want to thin it with a little water or broth and add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavor.
Great recipe! It’s a keeper! Made it with my garden tomatoes and just had to cook it down till I got the consistency I wanted before I added the cheese and cream. Delicious!
Soup is good but seems too thin and water
Hi Chris! Did you use canned San Marzano tomatoes? They’re meatier and less watery. You can also simmer it a little while longer to help thicken the soup.
Wondering if I can use fresh tomatoes rather than canned? Thanks.
Hi Tonia! Yes, you can use fresh tomatoes. But to get the same texture and consistency you’ll want to make your own crushed tomatoes out of them (blanching, peeling, cooking them down, and then crushing).
Hi Natasha, this is my first year growing tomatoes, and first time making tomato soup. Someone taught me a trick that was a real time saver. I cut up and cooked my tomatoes with the skins on. I let them reduce a bit then put the whole batch in the blender once it cooled, and I ended up with a quart of tomato puree. I made a half a batch of the soup recipe with it, and I’m in love with how it turned out. Easy peasy and delicious!
Thank you for sharing that with us. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I had a good crop of tomatoes this year of various types. This started as a way to salvage them before they spoiled. It was the best tomato soup I have ever tasted. But the second time I made it, I put the soup in a blender and added shredded carrot. We paired it with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for a delicious weekday dinner.
I have bought, made, and ordered so many tomato soups in my life and this is the BEST! Thank you Natasha!!!
You’re very welcome, Iris! I’m so glad you loved it!
Hello, can I freeze this soup even if it has cream In it? Or should I leave the cream out and add when I de-thaw and prepare to eat? And if so what is the proper procedure? Thanks!
Hi Sarita! The cream can curdle and separate when thawed and reheated but it works great to freeze before adding the cream.
Can I use my Lagastina pot for tomato soup?
I that’s just fine just but probably watch out for the cooking time.
I’ve canned this soup for the last 2 years. I do not add the cream and Parmesan until I make it to eat. Also this year I added shredded carrots to cut the acidity level and add some sweetness. It’s delicious.
I’m so glad to hear it works well for canning. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Great recipe. The tomato soup was delicious 😋
Is it okay to substitute baking soda for sugar to offset the acidity? Is so, is the measurement the same?
Hi there. I haven’t tested that myself but I think that would be fine since it’s a commonly
done in other recipes.
Not your bland canned soup. Not your child’s soup. This soup has a great robust flavor that will be your new go to.
A big success, Thank you!
Although, I was taught you put equal amount flour as you do butter at the beginning to help thicken your soup and make it more of a soup like texture rather than so watery… but that was my only adjustment:)
this soup is fantastic. I probably added more cream as I didn’t measure that, and I also took a bit of cream and ricotta cheese and whisked them together to add a pretty top to the soup.
I am a bit of a cream girl lol.
Wondering if this can be frozen??
I’m so glad you love this soup! Several of my viewers have frozen this soup. The cream can curdle when reheated but you can freeze it prior to adding cream.
This is my go to for a comforting soup! I add the juice of one lemon to balance the acidity of the tomato and it’s perfect!! Everyone asks for it when they come to visit!