This classic, easy recipe for Tomato Soup is BEST made with fresh tomatoes, but canned work too in a pinch! It’s simple and delicious and can be made in under 30 minutes. Cozy, comforting and perfect for bridging the seasons between summer and fall. Vegan-adaptable.
The soul has been given its own ears to hear things the mind does not understand. ~ Rumi
For the last month, this classic Tomato Soup has become a weekly occurrence at our home. I’ve been making jars of it to give away to busy friends and serving it up as dinner with a few slices of homemade sourdough (or sourdough croutons) and a swirl of Arugula Almond Pesto. Even though it’s just soup, it feels like a meal.
What I love about this easy recipe is that it can be made with fresh tomatoes like we are using right now, or with canned Roma tomatoes in winter when fresh tomatoes are long gone. It can also easily be made vegan.
Our neighbors have a big basil patch which they’ve generously shared, so I wander over there and a handful of basil to make the arugula pesto to go with this. But the soup doesn’t need the arugula pest0 – it’s just as good on its own.
Tomato Soup Recipe Video
Ingredients
- olive oil, butter or ghee
- onion
- carrot (or bell pepper)
- tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- broth
- seasonings
- basil
- cream or cashews
How to make Tomato Soup from Scratch
Step one:
Saute onion and carrots in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, stir occasionally. Add a red bell pepper if you like!
Step two:
Add fresh tomatoes (or canned tomatoes) veggie broth or chicken broth, seasonings, pepper and salt.
Simmer with the broth, covered, until the tomatoes break down, about 10-15 minutes.
Step three
Add fresh basil and blend. Using an immersion blender makes this especially quick and easy.
Step Four:
Then add heavy cream or half and half. (Or, for a vegan option, add raw cashews to the simmering tomatoes to soften before blending.)
Delicious Toppings!
Keep it simple and serve with crusty bread, or add any or all of these toppings.
- Add chopped tomatoes for more texture.
- Add a few basil ribbons
- Arugula almond pesto or Basil Pesto
- Sourdough croutons!
- parmesan cheese, pecorino or Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!
FAQS
What tomatoes should I use?
- Use fresh tomatoes if possible, but canned will work too. An easy pantry meal!
- If using canned, use San Marzano, if you can find them.
- Using fresh tomatoes when they are in season- elevates, and makes the BEST tomato soup.
How do you thicken homemade tomato soup?
- The easiest tastiest way to thicken tomato soup is to add carrots to the soup. Not only will they thicken the soup, but they will also add a lovely sweetness.
What our readers are saying:
Veronica: This is the best tomato soup I’ve ever had. Love it! I’ll keep the recipe for sure. Thank You
Melanie: Made this for dinner. Excellent. I used carrots, celery and red bell pepper in it. I doubled the recipe. I’ll freeze some and use some in a creamy Parmesan pasta sauce.
Danielle: Absolutely the best tomato soup!
Other recipes you might like:
- Coconut Ginger Tomato Soup
- Arugula Almond Pesto
- Roasted Tomato Soup with Halloumi Croutons
- Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Glowing Carrot Soup
- Simple Celery Soup
- Our 25 Most Popular Vegetarian Soups!
Enjoy this Easy Tomato Soup. Make it for a friend, or do something kind with it this week.
xoxo
Homemade Tomato Soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 cups
- Category: soup, vegan,
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Homemade Tomato Soup made with fresh or canned tomatoes, made in under 30 minutes. Creamy, easy and Vegan-adaptable (see notes)!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ghee, butter or olive oil (the ghee is good!)
- 1 extra-large onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced (or one red bell pepper) or use both-the best!!)
- 2 lbs fresh tomatoes ( or one, 28-ounce can of San Marzano Tomatoes)
- 1 cup water plus 1-2 bouillon cubes (chicken or veggie)
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar (or sugar alternative)
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 10–15 basil leaves
- pinch cayenne (optional, but good)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half (or sub-cashews-see notes)
- 1–2 tablespoon sour cream- optional!
Optional toppings:
- Add chopped tomatoes for more texture.
- Add a few basil ribbons
- Arugula almond pesto
- Sourdough croutons!
- parmesan cheese, pecorino or try Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!
Instructions
- Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and saute until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots, lower heat to medium, saute 3-4 minutes more until onions are golden and fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, water, bouillon cubes, honey or sugar, salt and pepper. (If making this vegan, add cashews now-see notes.) Stir, increase heat and bring to a simmer, cover, then lower heat to low, so it’s gently simmering. Simmer 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and carrots are tender. Remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup adding the basil leaves. Or you can blend in a blender.
- Return it to the pot. Stir in the cream.
- Taste and adjust salt and sugar. Add a little pinch of cayenne.
- Whisk in the sour cream if you like.
- Serve in bowls with basil ribbons, arugula almond pesto, croutons, pecorino, or fresh little tomatoes (halved).
Notes
If making this vegan, add 1/3-1/2 cup raw cashews to simmering tomatoes to soften before blending. You will need to blend the soup a little longer.
To use broth or stock instead of bouillon cubes- feel free, but you will need to increase the salt to taste.
Feel free to add: garlic or celery when you add the carrots.
STORE: Soup will last 4 days in the fridge or freeze for winter in mason jars with 1-inch headroom (for expansion).
Keywords: tomato soup, tomato soup recipe, easy tomato soup, vegan tomato soup, creamy tomato soup, best tomato soup, tomato basil soup
This soup is incredible- I’ve made it many times. I like to use fresh tomatoes and add feta at the end. Perfect with grilled cheese!
★★★★★
So happy you are enjoying!
This soup is delicious! I skipped the cream/ half and half and added a little plain Greek yogurt instead.
★★★★★
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed.
Absolutely delicious and so fresh tasting. I did not use cream, but instead added about a half a cup of Oat milk to give it just a hint of creaminess. Will definitely make again.
Perfect Tracey!
This was so good. I’m new to cooking, but thought I’d give it a shot since my daughter loves tomato soup. She raved about it and so did my sister (the cook In the family). Used fresh tomatoes, and dried basil and also reduced the recipe for just a few small bowls and it still turned out amazing! Thank you for a wonderful recipe, it’s going in my favorites file!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed this!
Loved this recipe!! Easy and the flavors are fantastic! I used the San Marizano tomatoes and did not add cream and it was just as good. I also used carrots and red peppers, it really kicked it up a notch!!! One more for the files.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed this Carmen!
I have now made this recipe three times as tomatoes are coming out of our ears and what a great recipe this is; after years of making really bitter tomato soup and preferring Heinz tinned I now have the best recipe and have no compunction of inviting friends over for a meal of it with fresh rolls; I am at this minute making a double batch for freezing. Thank you.
★★★★★
This is amazing Gill! And I am very envious of your fresh tomato abundance!
Wow!! This classic tomato soup is so excellent I never could have imagined loving a tomato soup so much! We ate it the other night as a side with your salmon cakes on top of a bed of greens. Great combo! I’m having it leftover for lunch today and I think it’s even better after sitting in the fridge for a few days!
★★★★★
So happy you liked it Joanna!
Really nice soup, although next time I think I’d make it without the honey/sugar because it was quite sweet to my taste. I prefer a more savory flavour. Otherwise great recipe 😁 very rich soup.
★★★★
Yes, feel free to adjust- also keep in mind tomatoes vary in acidity, so adding sweetness to taste is always an option.
THIS. IS. INCREDIBLE. I made this over Christmas and it was SUCH a huge hit! Then I lost the recipe. I spent forever trying to find it again–I never saw a recipe that called for both carrots and bell peppers but it totally makes the recipe. I even went so far as to go back into my internet history to find it, and was thrilled when I did! I’m off to make a double batch! (Believe me, you will NEED a double batch!)
thanks Megan!
This is honestly the best tomato soup I’ve ever tasted. I used canned tomatoes and I don’t think I’d change it at all. New staple and so simple to make. Thankyou!!
★★★★★
Awesome Jordan! Glad you enjoyed it!
Always excellent. And my kids love it, too.
★★★★★
Great Laura!
Incredible beyond incredible! This is exactly how I want tomato soup to taste. I paired it with your homemade cornbread recipe. Lovely pairing 🙂
★★★★★
Great to hear Angeli!
Do you not peel the tomatoes?
I don’t but feel free to if that is your preference. 🙂
Loved this recipe and by far the best I’ve tasted. I added celery, red pepper and garlic. I also used tomato sauce grown from fresh tomatoes from my garden but canned tomatoes, I cut the water but used better than bouillon because I like the richness. I doubled the recipe. And I canned them without adding the cream. When I served the soup I added cream and more basil. I also topped the soup with homemade croutons
★★★★★
Sounds lovely Diane!
Amazing! I made it exactly as instructed. Next time I will try 1.5 tbsp sugar to cut sugar down a bit but this was a fantastic recipe and the first thing I’m doing after eating it is writing this review and adding it to my cookbook!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow.. I honestly wasn’t expecting more than standard homemade tomato soup but after making your mushroom wild rice soup, I thought I’d give it a whirl. It’s the best tomato soup I’ve ever had!! That’s even with using dried basil and no toppings (don’t worry..I’ll use all the good stuff next time I have all the ingredients). I used cashew cream and tofutti sour cream to keep it vegan. No oil tho..yet still amazing..
Thanks Sylvia!!🙏
★★★★★
Yay Kristina! Great to hear!
Your recipe does not specify when to add the half and half. It’s unclear.
Hi CJ, it is in step 4, right after blending it. 😉
I love reading recipes but don’t often make them. I’ve hankering for tomato soup for a while but nothing about it. Today i decided to find a récipé to make my soup. I read à number of recipes and stopped at yours. I’m so glad I did. It was delicious. I used my blender and made a total mess. So tomorrow my son Is taking me to buy a new immersion blender. I will be making your recipe time and time again. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it Jocelyn and sorry about the mess.