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.

Easy Homemade Tomato Soup With Pantry Staples

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

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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.