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.
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. It tops our list of cozy winter dinner ideas!
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!
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 a 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.)
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.
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!
Yes! You can use vegetable stock and omit the heavy cream, or substitute full-fat canned coconut milk or extra-creamy oat milk instead.
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.
Absolutely!
Homemade Tomato Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 cups (1.9L)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Simple and classic, this is my favorite tomato soup recipe. Cook on the stove and then blend to a smooth consistency. It’s exceptional when served with homemade croutons, garlic knots, and/or grilled cheese!
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (or 1 Tbsp double-concentrated)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 56 ounces (1588g) canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes* (two 28oz/794g cans)
- 2 cups (480g/ml) chicken stock*
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- optional: crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stainless steel stockpot or enameled Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and dried basil and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes (and their juices), stock, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you’d like a thicker soup, let it simmer for a little longer.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or let cool slightly and then carefully transfer the soup to a regular blender and blend in batches (see Notes for instructions).
- Stir or blend in the heavy cream. Taste. Add in crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve warm.
- Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot and cook over medium heat until warm.
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Soup freezes wonderfully! Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large non-reactive pot, such as a stainless steel stockpot or enameled Dutch oven | Blender or Immersion Blender
- Type of Pot to Use: 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.
- Tomatoes: You can use cans of either whole peeled or crushed tomatoes. We recommend San Marzano tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Chicken Stock: You can use vegetable stock to make this soup vegetarian, and either chicken or vegetable broth will work in a pinch.
- If Using a Standard Blender: Let the soup cool a bit before transferring to a blender. Using a ladle, spoon the slightly cooled soup into the blender, filling no more than halfway (you’ll need to puree the soup in batches). Be sure to use a vented lid to allow steam to escape. Start blending on low speed and increase the speed gradually.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 147
- Sugar: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 392.7 mg
- Fat: 9.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 10.3 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is a really authentic delicious tasting soup! Made it for the first time yesterday and it was so easy (and relaxing) to make. Great with or without the cream and I think it’ll now become a firm favourite in our household
Made this delicious tomato soup today. Easy step-by-step directions. Paired with grilled cheese for a scrumptious lunch.
This was the first savoury dish I’ve made from Sally’s website and it did not disappoint. Now I know why my tomato soups have been failing, and it’s because I used fresh tomatoes baked in the oven instead of canned! I followed this recipe to the letter, with the sugar and salt seasoning amount too, and I was surprised I didn’t need to adjust anything at all. It was THE perfect tomato soup I had been looking for. I scarfed it down with a nicely warmed up slice of baguette. I will never buy tomato soup from outside anymore…
This recipe was absolutely delicious and so easy. We have our favorite store bought and for the first time we liked a homemade recipe better. Loved the red pepper addition to give it a little zing. This will be on repeat! Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe is great and easy for my first time to make homemade tomato soup. My husband loved it. I used minced garlic and chicken broth because I had those items on hand. Next time I will use fresh garlic and chicken stock as I think it will make the soup even more flavorful. Is there any other suggestions to make the tomato soup even more tangy? Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Hi Denise, so glad you loved the soup, and great substitutions! Fresh garlic and stock will definitely add even more depth next time. For extra tang, try a splash of balsamic or red wine vinegar at the end, an extra spoonful of tomato paste while it simmers, or a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.
This soup has so much flavor and was so easy to make. I tried it because it called for canned tomatoes – soooo much easier – and was not disappointed. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, but otherwise made it exactly as listed and I wouldn’t change a thing. It is my new go-to tomato soup recipe.
This was INCREDIBLE. My whole family loved it. I’ve never made homemade tomato soup but I may never go back to cans after this! It was so worth it and so good. I made sourdough grilled cheese to go with it and it was perfect!
Easy to make and so much flavor! Very yummy and comforting!
O my gosh, we have snow that could be called white cement made the for family to help keep warm. Silky smooth and delicious. Was a delight to sit and share family time over soup grilled cheese and laughs. Great recipe
To break the ice in social settings, I like to ask people what they’d choose as their last meal on earth. Mine has always been toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Warm, comforting, filling. On wintry, cold Cleveland, Ohio days, my mother often served that combo for lunch. Trying to steer from processed food as much as possible, I gave this soup a whirl. It truly has all the same features of my “last meal” yet rings so much fresher! I prepared the recipe as written. As this yummy stuff can be steaming in mugs in about an hour, I’ll never purchase condensed tomato again.
This recipe was so easy and absolutely delicious! My whole family loves it, and I’m already making my third batch!
To give this soup a warm spice taste, add 1 Tablespoon of Curry Powder. It doesn’t take away from the tomato flavor, it just adds a bit of ‘warm’.
This tomato soup is amazing and so simple. We enjoyed it with the asiago cheese bread. I will be making these two recipes together again for many dinners in the future.
You must have read my mind. I’ve been searching for a smooth and flavorful tomato soup. This soup is so good. A keeper!
I made this soup tonight and all I can say is YUM!! This was easy and is absolutely delicious. This and a pb&j or grilled cheese = dinner heaven!
This soup is WOW, just WOW! Thanks for another great recipe.
I loved this recipe! I made it with Fire roasted tomatoes and vegetable stock…delicious, and so easy to make because I had the pantry staples on hand.
I have your cookbook and I make your no bake cheesecake and I will say my son and his wife absolutely loved it. My husband’s favorite dessert I make is your No-Bake Cheesecake.
This recipe for Tomato Soup is a game changer for me! Thank you! ❤️
I loved the tomato soup. I always add goat cheese to my tomato soup and it and it is delicious. I added my homemade croutons. Delish!!!
Can onion powder be substituted for the onion?
Hi Debbie, to really build the flavor base, I strongly recommend chopped onion over onion powder.
I know that you’re going to tell me you haven’t tested it but do you think I could reasonably substitute 1/2 cup coconut milk for the heavy cream?
That would be fine, you may have a slightly different flavor but it’s a small amount of milk/cream to soup. Let us know how it turns out!
Could I roast the tomatoes along with onion and garlic and then add to pan to continue recipe?
Have you tried using fresh tomatoes?
Hi Tanya, we did test it. We tried roasting fresh tomatoes, but the flavor just did not compare to tomatoes canned at peak freshness. Now, it was out of season (winter), so you could try roasting fresh tomatoes in their peak season later this year.
I made this soup for dinner. It was delicious, especially on a snowy evening. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Nancy
Been waiting for you to share a tomato soup recipe. Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Christi, thank you! I always suggest tomato soup to pair with all of the homemade bread we share, so it was about time we work on one. We all loved how this turned out.
I love every recipe I have tried making Sally’s Baking Addiction!
I usually use cayenne pepper with my carton tomato soup so I added to your recipe to taste as well.
Not changing your recipe, it’s just my preference.
I wish I had time to make your bread to go with the soup tonight!
Would my homemade canned tomato’s work?
Absolutely!
Love love all your recipes!!
None have ever failed me. For the love of GOOD food. Nothing processed nothing artificial!!
Can I use non fat greek yogurt instead of heavy cream?
Hi Marta, I haven’t tried that but you can certainly test it. I fear it won’t full mix into the warm soup. When you try it, make sure it is room temperature.
My tomato soup is quite good except for the small metallic taste. Yes the other pot outdoor be ideal but I cannot afford tio spend that kind of money. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I love all your recipies. You are my first go to.
Fresh basil works well too. In fact…it’s awesome! Thanks for such a great recipe for one of my favorite comfort foodes.
can I use milk instead of heavy cream in this recipe?
Hi JS, you can, but the consistency is much better with heavy cream.
This soup was incredible! Made it exactly as you wrote it. We had everything on hand. I think we found a new favorite.