This soup is everything a tomato soup should be. Rich and creamy without feeling heavy, full of tomato flavor while made from pantry staples—yes, even canned tomatoes.
Canned tomatoes are ideal here: tomato soup season spans fall through spring, not the peak tomato months of summer. This recipe is a perfect solution when fresh tomatoes aren’t available or when you want a reliable, comforting bowl any time of year.
I developed this version for my cookbook and simplified it so you likely already have everything in your kitchen. Tomato soup is perfect on rainy days and even better alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.
Why You’ll Love this Tomato Soup
Four reasons this tomato soup will become a favorite:
- Classic homemade tomato soup flavor made from simple pantry ingredients.
- Rich, creamy texture without heavy cream—great northern or cannellini beans and a bit of butter create the silkiness.
- Diet-friendly: naturally gluten free and easily made vegan by swapping the butter for olive oil.
- Quickly transforms into a tomato-basil soup if you have fresh basil on hand.
How to Make the Best Tomato Soup
This recipe is straightforward and scales easily—double it for a crowd or to have leftovers.
1) Sauté onion, then add tomato paste.
Start by cooking chopped onion in olive oil until soft and translucent, then stir in tomato paste and cook briefly. The tomato paste deepens the tomato flavor and adds intensity.
2) Add whole canned tomatoes and broth; simmer 30 minutes.
Use a large can of whole tomatoes (they’re typically the highest quality canned tomatoes). Add vegetable broth and simmer gently for about 30 minutes to develop the flavors. This is a good time to tidy up or relax briefly.
3) Blend with a few key ingredients.
Transfer the soup to a blender (stand blenders yield especially smooth results). Add cooked Great Northern or cannellini beans for creaminess, a couple tablespoons of butter for richness (or extra olive oil to make it dairy free), a bit of sugar to balance acidity, and salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth.
4) Taste, adjust, and serve.
After blending, taste and adjust seasoning—add more sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. If you want tomato-basil soup, add a handful of fresh basil leaves and briefly blend again. Serve hot with grilled cheese, a green salad, or your favorite side.
Watch How to Make Tomato Soup
Tomato Basil Soup Variation
To make a tomato-basil version, blend in 10–15 fresh basil leaves after the soup is smooth. Blend just until the basil is finely broken down for a fresh, bright flavor.
Please share how your soup turns out in the comments—I’d love to hear.
Other lightened-up creamy soups to try:
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
- Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Classic Tomato Soup
This classic tomato soup is creamy yet light and cream-less. It yields about 4 bowls; double the recipe for more servings or leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, with their liquid
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup cooked Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces (substitute 1 tbsp extra olive oil to make vegan)
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional for tomato-basil variation: 10–15 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the whole tomatoes and vegetable broth and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender in batches if necessary. Add the beans, butter (or extra olive oil), sugar, and several twists of black pepper. Secure the lid and blend until smooth, taking care to avoid steam escaping.
- Taste and adjust seasoning: add more sugar to balance acidity if needed, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- If using basil, add it now and blend briefly. Serve hot. The soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to four days and can be frozen for up to three months.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Love Real Food.
Recommended canned tomatoes: Whole canned tomatoes are generally the best quality. Organic brands often have superior flavor.
To make dairy free/vegan: Replace the butter with 1 tablespoon additional extra-virgin olive oil.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American