Tomato Soup

The BEST tomato soup recipe! It's rich, flavorful, and made with pantry ingredients. Pair it with a grilled cheese for a delicious, comforting meal!

Tomato soup

Homemade tomato soup is like a hug in a bowl, which, when the weather is as gray as it has been here lately, is exactly what I need.

This tomato soup recipe is a cold weather staple in our house. It couldn’t be simpler to make, and the ingredients are largely pantry basics that I always keep on hand. But more importantly, this tomato soup is creamy, comforting, and full of rich flavor. The tomatoes make it tangy, balsamic vinegar adds sweetness, and red pepper flakes give it a warming kick of heat. You could serve it on its own, topped with a swirl of olive oil, black pepper, and fresh basil leaves…or you could pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich. If you’re craving cozy comfort food as much as I have been recently, I definitely vote for the latter.

Tomato soup recipe ingredients

Tomato Soup Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade tomato soup recipe:

  • Tomatoes, of course! Canned diced tomatoes, to be exact. If you’d prefer to make a tomato soup recipe that calls for fresh tomatoes, check out this tomato basil soup recipe instead.
  • Olive oil and butter – They create the soup’s rich base. To make this recipe dairy-free, feel free to use additional olive oil instead of the butter.
  • Carrots, onion, and garlic – These aromatic veggies give the soup savory depth of flavor.
  • Balsamic vinegar – It adds sweetness and tang.
  • Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own. Water works here too!
  • Full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream – Honestly, both are fantastic! They make the soup equally creamy. If you go the dairy-free route, I promise, you won’t taste the coconut one bit!
  • Dried thyme – For warm, earthy flavor.
  • Red pepper flakes – For heat.
  • Fresh basil leaves – You can’t beat the combination of tomatoes and basil! I shower the basil over the soup to add bursts of fresh flavor.
  • And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Sauteed carrots, onion, and garlic in a pot with balsamic vinegar

How to Make Tomato Soup

This homemade tomato soup recipe is so simple to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, sauté the veggies. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar.

Hand using spatula to stir cream into pot of homemade tomato soup

Next, add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Add the canned tomatoes, water, coconut milk or heavy cream, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Homemade tomato soup in a blender

Then, blend part of the soup. This step makes it sooo creamy! Scoop 4 cups of the soup out of the pot and set aside. Transfer the remaining soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. If you like, you could use an immersion blender for this step, though I prefer the smoother texture I get when I use my upright blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, along with the 4 cups of chunky soup. Stir to combine.

Finally, season to taste and serve. That’s it!

Pot of homemade tomato soup with silver ladle

Homemade Tomato Soup Serving Suggestions

When you’re ready to eat, top your bowl with a swirl of olive oil, a drizzle of coconut milk or heavy cream, lots of fresh black pepper, and fresh basil. Enjoy the soup with a side of crusty bread, or top it with homemade croutons for crunch. And of course, you can’t beat pairing it with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Want something lighter on the side? A cup of this tomato soup is delicious with a simple green salad, my kale Caesar salad, or a classic Caesar salad.

Leftovers keep well for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the tomato soup for up to 3 months!

Tomato soup recipe

More Favorite Soup Recipes

If you love this tomato soup recipe, try one of these homemade soups next:

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Tomato Soup

rate this recipe:
4.93 from 114 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 6
Our favorite tomato soup recipe! Made with pantry staples, this simple homemade tomato soup is creamy, rich, and flavorful. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich for a delicious, comforting meal!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or an additional 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1⅓ cups full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened.
  • Stir in the vinegar, then add the tomatoes, water, coconut milk, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
  • Scoop 4 cups of the soup out of the pot and set aside. Transfer the remaining soup to a blender. Puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot with the reserved 4 cups of chunky soup. Stir to combine and season to taste.
  • Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of coconut milk, a drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh basil leaves for garnish.

173 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Amaya
    02.28.2024

    5 stars
    I made this while I was incredibly sick and I really think it helped me recover quicker. Also It wasn’t hard to make for someone who is not very knowledgeable about cooking.

    • Amaya
      02.28.2024

      I forgot to mention that I used trader joes vegan alternative for heavy whipping cream and I could not taste the difference

      • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
        03.01.2024

        Hi Amaya, I’m so glad you’re feeling better and that you loved the soup! Great to know the vegan cream alternative worked well here.

  2. LJ
    02.24.2024

    Hello, just curious if you’ve ever subbed greek yogurt or cannelloni beans for the heavy cream? Trying to add some protein and take some fat out of the recipe for a specific nutritional need and curious if you think that will ruin the taste or if you’ve tried and if so how much of each you think would sub for the cream you recommend? Thx!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.01.2024

      Hi LJ, we haven’t tried this sub in this particular recipe, but we’ve used blended beans for creaminess in many other soups. I think it would work here! I would start by adding 1 cup cannellini beans to the blender when you blend some of the soup. You could potentially use more, but I’d start there so that the soup doesn’t get too thick. Hope this helps!

  3. Nola
    02.16.2024

    What brand of canned tomatoes do you use? I’ve found they vary greatly n taste and composition.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.16.2024

      Hi Nola, we typically use 365 organic or Muir Glen.

  4. Misael Reyes
    02.13.2024

    5 stars
    Just made it, everyone loved it!!!!!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.16.2024

      Hi Misael, I’m so glad you loved the soup!

  5. Amy
    02.05.2024

    5 stars
    This was amazing. Glad I followed the recipe as is.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2024

      Hi Amy, I’m so glad you loved the soup!

  6. Mary-Ann
    01.27.2024

    5 stars
    Best tomato soup I’ve made, huge hit with family, paired well with garlic toast and also grilled cheese sandwich. Fabulous

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.30.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  7. Julie
    01.20.2024

    5 stars
    I made this last night and was delighted! I used roughly 3/4 C half-n-half instead of the recipe’s coconut milk, and 2 golf ball sized frozen pesto balls instead of basil (just using what I had). It was delicious with a bit of feta & crackers (will make croutons next time though). I also added about a tablespoon of sugar. May leave out the Balsamic next time. Not sure I liked that flavor profile, but I managed to cover it up. thanks for the recipe!

  8. Shawnna
    01.20.2024

    I would like to see full nutritional values for your recipes. On a very strick diet and won’t make unless I have that information, hopefully it will be included in the future and see an update to you recipes. They sound delicious.

  9. Jennifer
    01.15.2024

    5 stars
    This soup is delicious! I subbed the coconut milk with zero fat Greek yogurt and emulsified the whole pot. Basil and all. Family loved it!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.17.2024

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  10. Megan
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    This is my favorite tomato soup recipe! I’ve made it about 4x and always used heavy cream, but this last time used coconut milk to lighten it up and I honestly didn’t see a difference in richness and flavor. I recommend it to everyone!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Megan, I’m so glad you loved it!

  11. LndaH
    12.26.2023

    5 stars
    I am super picky about tomato soup and this recipe is a keeper. Any thoughts on freezing leftovers?

  12. TM
    12.23.2023

    5 stars
    This is my favorite go to, tomato soup. I follow the directions except that I use an immersion blender in the end. Grilled cheese dips nicely 😊

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.24.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

      • Marilyn Zawoyski
        01.06.2024

        4 stars
        Can you tell me if the canned tomatoes are 28 oz each or a total of 28 oz?

        • Meghan I
          01.06.2024

          2 cans 28oz each. Just made it.. delish!

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          01.09.2024

          Hi Marilyn, 2 28-ounce cans

  13. Joce
    12.16.2023

    Excellent soup, delicious! It made it into my recipe file. Can’t wait to make it again.

  14. Cheryl
    12.02.2023

    Hi. Love your recipes but being health conscious, do you ever post nutrition info including calories? Am I missing something?

    Thank you for these great recipes.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.05.2023

      Hi Cheryl, I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition facts (I like to focus on the quality of ingredients not on the #’s) but you can plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.

  15. Mark
    11.30.2023

    3 stars
    Was disappointed in the flavor. It was the addition of the balsamic vinegar. I used heavy cream instead of the coconut milk, which might have tempered the acidity/vinegar taste. Added butter & sugar to try & balance, which helped. Will do it again, w/o the balsamic.

  16. Yael
    11.30.2023

    I am confused. Sorry but Is the the two cans of tomatoes 28 ounce each so over all 56 ounces of canned tomatoes it is 2 tomato cans 14 ounces each so overall 28 ounces of canned tomatoes?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.01.2023

      Hi Yael, you’ll need 2 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, 56 ounces total.

  17. deborah
    11.27.2023

    I used the recipe for inspiration, made a bunch of changes to clean out the pantry, still delicious.
    1 can 15oz of fire roasted tomatoes
    1 can 6 oz tomato paste
    2 celery stalks sauteed with onions and carrots
    1 Tbs of veggie Better than Bouillon
    1 can hatch chiles 4 oz
    Water- about 5 cups
    Thyme, basil, garlic as per recipe
    Blended it all up in blender.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      11.28.2023

      Hi Deborah, so glad you loved the soup!

    • Terry Rosenthal
      12.16.2023

      Your modifications sound great, especially after seeing comments about coconut milk. Did you add anything creamy? I might try your suggestion.

    • deborah
      12.16.2023

      Hello loveandlemons,
      For tomato soup, I didn’t add anything creamy…just the blended the ingredients, plus salt, pepper. I don’t like creamy milks in soups, and without the milks, it’s easier to reheat and freeze, imo. Even potato leek soup or corn chowder are delicious without any milk. I like your recipes, they get my creative cooking juices flowing. thank you,
      deborah

  18. LB
    11.16.2023

    3 stars
    Wasn’t keen on the coconut milk. Could definitely taste it in the final product.

    I used fresh tomatoes because I needed to use up end of season crop… I also wanted a smoother consistency so strained it before serving….

    Flavor….just okay. I think I’ll try it again with dairy cream next time….

  19. Bmaclean
    11.14.2023

    I’m going to make this. Can I just use an immersion blender for a few seconds?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      11.16.2023

      Yes, you can use an immersion blender until it’s pureed.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.