Totally a classic. Warm and comforting and oh, so cozy! What’s more nostalgic than tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich? It’s one of the only foods from my childhood that I still crave to this day!
There are probably thousands of different recipes for tomato soup out there, though the best ones are a perfect, delicate balance of acidic, sweet, herbaceous and aromatic.
To be honest, before this, I had never actually written down a recipe for tomato soup. I always just eyeball it. That’s one thing I love about this soup. It’s so easy to throw together! But I’ve been on a mission to nail down what I think is the most perfect recipe. After lots of testing, I finally have it and am so happy with the result! This is the only tomato soup recipe you will ever need!
Here’s what you need:
I personally love my tomato soup with a little bit of cream for richness. But feel free to omit if you don’t do dairy. It will still be delicious! This recipe could also be made vegan by using vegetable broth and no cream.
I love how easy this soup is to make! No need to worry about having perfect knife cuts. It’s all going to be puréed in the end!
Sauté the aromatics.
Start by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for 2 minutes more.
Add the crushed tomatoes, broth and salt. Bring the soup up to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer, with the lid off for 30 minutes, then stir in the fresh basil leaves.
Purée the soup.
This can be done with an immersion blender, or by transferring it to a food processor, then pouring the puréed soup back into a pot. I highly recommend adding an immersion blender to your kitchen inventory if you love making soup like I do! I use mine when making Hearty Black Bean Soup and Curried Sweet Potato Soup. It’s a whole lot easier than transferring the hot soup back and forth!
Finally, stir in the balsamic vinegar and heavy cream. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed.
Serve luscious tomato soup with lots of crusty croutons or with a melty grilled cheese! I love topping my soup with feta, cracked black pepper and extra basil!
Keep leftover soup refrigerated for up to a week. Freeze any extra for up to 3 months! I make double or even triple batches of soup and keep a couple quarts in the freezer so it’s ready when I need a quick dinner!
Other recipes to try:
Simple Homemade Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable) low sodium
- 2 tsp salt plus extra for sautéing
- 15-20 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the onion with a pinch of salt large pot for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to sauté a couple minutes more.Add the canned tomatoes, broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to a simmer. Simmer with the lid off for 30 minutes, then stir in the fresh basil. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup to a smooth consistency, or transfer the soup to a food processor to purée, then pour it back into the pot once smooth. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and heavy cream and serve.