Easy Homemade Tomato Soup With Pantry Staples

This easy homemade tomato soup is the kind of classic recipe you will make again and again. Cook all the ingredients on the stove and then blend to get that smooth, silky consistency. This soup is made with canned tomatoes, which provide peak ripe tomato flavor as well as year-round convenience.

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My team and I make a lot of homemade bread around here, and at some point it became obvious: we needed a go-to tomato soup to pair with all that dipping. After several rounds of testing, tweaking, and plenty of spoonfuls straight from the pot, this is the version we landed on—simple, classic, and packed with bright tomato flavor.

And it absolutely delivers on cozy! Some recipes just feel like comfort food, and this simple homemade tomato soup is one of them. It’s the kind you can stir together on a chilly afternoon, with pantry staples you may already have, and suddenly the whole kitchen smells extra homey.

With its silky texture, vibrant tomato flavor, and creamy finish, this is our very favorite recipe for tomato soup.

The best part? This soup uses canned tomatoes—no need to wait around for tomato season. Quality canned tomatoes bring dependable flavor, and a quick simmer with onion, garlic, basil, and stock turns them into the kind of soup that tastes slow-cooked, even though it can be on the table in about an hour.

Why You’ll Love This Classic Tomato Soup Recipe:

Uses pantry staples—conveniently available year round
Silky, slightly creamy texture—not heavy
Freezer-friendly—make a double batch for future meals
Balanced flavor—just enough garlic and onion, basil, and a bit of sugar to offset the tomatoes’ acidity

Serve it in a bread bowl; top it with homemade croutons; or pair it with a golden, melty grilled cheese sandwich—perfect for dipping in this classic tomato soup.

Garlic bread, garlic knots (pictured above!), asiago cheese bread, and soft breadsticks are also excellent tomato soup companions!

ingredients measured in bowls including cream, olive oil, pepper, sugar, salt, basil, and garlic.

Homemade Tomato Soup Ingredients:

Olive Oil: You can use butter instead, if you prefer.
Onion: Dice 1 small sweet onion and sauté in the oil to start building a flavorful base.
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves give this soup the best flavor.
Tomato Paste: If your tomato paste says “double-concentrated” you can halve the amount.
Sugar: Just a Tablespoon, to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Salt & Pepper: Key seasonings for any soup!
Canned Tomatoes: You can use either whole peeled or crushed tomatoes—you’re going to blend the soup either way. We recommend San Marzano tomatoes (not working with this brand… just genuine fans!), which provide an ideal balance of sweetness and acidity, and make for a silky texture.
Chicken Stock: In testing, we found that chicken stock offered the best flavor, but you can use vegetable stock instead for a vegetarian tomato soup.
Dried Basil: Another conveniently available-year-round pantry staple!
Heavy Cream: Just a half cup stirred in at the end really rounds out the flavor and texture of this tomato soup. Feel free to add more to taste if you’d like a richer, creamier tomato soup.

In Photos: How to Make Easy Tomato Soup

You can make this whole soup in 1 large stockpot or Dutch oven.

Success Tip: Use a non-reactive pot, such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron. Avoid aluminum, copper, and (non-enameled) cast iron, which are made of metals that react with the tomatoes’ acidity and could make for a metallic-tasting soup.

Start by sautéing the onions in the oil. Once they’re beginning to release some moisture and turn translucent, add the minced garlic. Cook and stir for about a minute, and then add the tomato paste. Give that a couple minutes of cooking and stirring to continue building flavor, and then you can add in all the remaining ingredients. (Except the heavy cream; you’ll stir that in at the end.)

sautéed onions, garlic, and herbs in pot.

Bring the soup up to a low boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes:

You can use either a regular blender or an immersion blender. The benefit of an immersion blender is you can just keep the soup in the pot for this step. If using a regular blender, you’ll need to blend in batches. The benefit of a regular blender is that the soup will puree more evenly; the soup may be a little chunkier if you use an immersion blender.

Tips for Blending Hot Soup in a Regular Blender

Let the soup cool some before transferring it to the blender.
Use a ladle to spoon the soup into the blender, don’t try to pour the hot soup from the pot.
Don’t overfill the blender; fill only about halfway and blend in batches.
Make sure your blender has a vented lid, to allow steam to escape.
Start blending on low speed, then gradually increase the speed. If you start blending on high right away, the soup will splatter up—and potentially out. (I speak from experience…!)

Once the soup is smooth, stir in the cream to finish. Just a touch of richness to cut the acidity, balance the flavor, and deliver the silkiest texture.

Can I use fresh tomatoes?

We highly recommend canned tomatoes for this soup, which are picked and canned at peak ripeness. Unless you’re using freshly picked in-season ripe tomatoes, the flavor will be lacking. In testing, we found that tomatoes from the grocery store when local ones were not in season made for a fairly flavorless soup. If you can find them, canned San Marzano tomatoes are the best choice!

Can I make this tomato soup vegan?

Yes! You can use vegetable stock and omit the heavy cream, or substitute full-fat canned coconut milk or extra-creamy oat milk instead.

Can I use broth instead of stock?

Chicken stock provides the very best flavor in this soup, but you can use chicken or vegetable broth instead if that is what you have on hand.

Can I use fire-roasted tomatoes?

Absolutely!