This Quick Tomato Soup Recipe is full of flavor and can be made in just about 20 minutes. Loaded with tomatoes and basil, it’s the perfect soup to serve with a grilled cheese sandwich on a chilly day.
Puree to make it super creamy, or keep it a little chunky if that’s how you like it. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, you can try our Roasted Tomato Soup. Or, for even more fall soup recipes, you can try our Chicken Curry Thai Soup, Beef and Barley Soup, or this Creamy Curry Squash Soup.
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Quick Tomato Soup Recipe
For those days when you want homemade soup, but you don’t have the time or energy, this 20 minute soup recipe has your back. In order to have rich and creamy homemade tomato soup, you really only need a handful of ingredients and a few minutes.
The most important tip is to remember that you have to use a non-reactive pot! Otherwise, the entire pot of soup will have a metallic and sour flavor. I prefer to use San Marzano canned tomatoes because they have a very balanced tomato flavor. From there, season as desired and cook for just about 5-10 minutes.
Besides the classic grilled cheese sandwich, you can also serve this tomato basil soup with toasted homemade French bread, this Jalapeno Cheddar Bread, or with a side salad.
Key Ingredients
- Crushed Tomatoes - for this quick tomato soup, you will need two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes. When you are cooking them, San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor so use those if you can find them.
- Chicken Broth - chicken broth adds a little extra savoriness to this soup. If you want to make it vegetarian, you can easily swap out vegetable broth instead.
- Brown Sugar - any time you are cooking tomatoes, you need to balance the acidity with a little sweetness. I like to use brown sugar but you could also use maple syrup.
- Fresh Basil - this is chopped up and added at the very end. If you want to substitute dry basil, use about 1 teaspoon instead.
- Heavy Cream - in order to get the soup nice and creamy, you need to add a liquid with higher fat content such as heavy cream. Half and half will also work, or whole milk.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Basil Soup
- Cook the tomato, broth, and seasoning. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the basil. Wash and dry the fresh basil leaves. Strip the leaves from the basil stem chop, then add to the tomato soup mixture.
- Blend, if desired. If you like your tomato soup smooth, use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer to a blender.
- Finish. Stir in the cream and finish with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure you are using a non-reactive pot, such as a Dutch oven, ceramic, or stainless steel pot. If you try to use anything like cast iron, copper, or aluminum, it will react with the acids in the tomatoes and give the soup a metallic and very unappetizing taste!
If you used a non-reactive pot and it still tastes a bit too sour, try adding a little extra brown sugar.
If you only have dried basil, you can absolutely use that instead. Substitute about 1 teaspoon of dried basil for the 12-15 fresh basil leaves.
If you want to substitute fresh tomatoes, we have a different recipe for you! Our Roasted Tomato Soup uses oven-roasted tomatoes mixed with seasoning and heavy cream. It takes a bit more time but is just as creamy and super delicious.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: store in freezer bags or another airtight container for up to 2 months.
- To reheat: put soup into a Dutch oven or sauce pot and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Quick Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 28-ounce cans Crushed Tomatoes San Marzano variety is best
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
- 12-15 leaves Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 cup Heavy Cream half and half, or whole milk
- ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
- Wash and dry the fresh basil leaves. Strip the leaves from the basil stem chop, then add to the tomato soup mixture.
- If you like your tomato soup smooth, use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer to a blender. Otherwise, skip blending and add the cream. Stir to combine, then finish with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from the heat and serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Quick Soup Recipes
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Easy Taco Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Hearty Vegetable Soup
- Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Corn Chowder
- More Soup Recipes
- More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
This quick tomato soup recipe is rich, creamy, and can be finished in just about 20 minutes. It's made with San Marzano crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, heavy cream, and seasoned just how you like it.
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