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This easy tomato basil soup recipe is a light, healthy, and delicious vegetarian dinner or weekend lunch that’s ready for the table in about 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
If you love tomato soup recipes, be sure to try this creamy tomato soup with ground beef and noodles, a pot of roasted tomato soup, and this Southern tomato bisque, too!
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup | 1-Minute Video
So I made it with a couple spoonfuls of sour cream and it was SO good!!! Thank you! This will be in my regular recipe rotation for life!
– Mary
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- Enjoy it Year-Round. A roasted tomato soup with summer’s fresh tomatoes is such a treat; however, it’s not always realistic. After all, we love to enjoy a bowl of creamy tomato basil soup all year long — even when we don’t have loads of sweet red tomatoes hanging on the vine. Fortunately, this recipe takes advantage of convenient canned tomatoes for a flavorful, delicious pot of soup whenever the craving strikes.
- Use high quality canned tomatoes for the best results (cheaper varieties are full of water and won’t provide as much rich flavor). You can use San Marzano tomatoes or whole tomatoes that you break up with your hands or a wooden spoon if you prefer.
- In order to achieve great tomato flavor, it’s important to balance acidity and sweetness. Too much acid or too much sugar yields a soup that tastes one-dimensional. The right amount of sugar in this soup perfectly balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Just a little bit of heavy cream or half-and-half gives the soup a more velvety, rich mouthfeel, while still keeping it light and fresh. If you like a really creamy tomato soup, add even more. Don’t use milk in lieu of the cream or half-and-half. Milk doesn’t have enough fat to yield the same rich, creamy flavor and texture. Canned full-fat coconut milk is a nice dairy-free alternative.
- Start with room temperature cream (rather than cold cream). Room temperature ingredients are less likely to separate or curdle when added to the hot soup.
Directions
A homemade tomato basil soup with canned tomatoes tastes like it’s been simmering all day on the stovetop — but it’s ready in about 30 minutes! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Sauté onion in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot until tender (about 3-5 minutes); add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add bay leaves, tomatoes, broth, and brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard bay leaves.
- Purée soup with an immersion blender or blend in batches with a regular blender.
- Stir in cream and basil, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. The total amount of seasoning necessary will depend on the saltiness of your broth. Taste the soup as you’re cooking it and season as you go. This is a matter of personal preference, so you can make your soup as salty (or not) as you like.
- Ladle into bowls and serve!
- Dress up each bowl with a garnish of extra fresh basil leaves. You can also finish the soup with homemade garlic croutons, a heavy grating of fresh Parmesan cheese, a swirl of cream, or small cubes of grilled cheese sandwiches (like grilled cheese croutons).
Serving Suggestions
There’s no more classic combination than grilled cheese and tomato basil soup! It’s a simple, hearty, and satisfying lunch or dinner that appeals to both kids and adults. I like to make a loaf crusty bread or purchase sourdough, which is ideal for thick, toasty, grilled cheese sandwiches. The warm soup is also delicious alongside a skillet of no-knead cast iron focaccia, a green salad with red wine vinaigrette, or a classic Caesar salad.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the soup in advance, allow it to cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- How to Freeze: If you want to prepare the soup well in advance and store it in the freezer, do not add the cream. Allow the soup to cool completely, package in airtight containers or Ziploc freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. Add the cream to the warm soup just before serving.
- How to Reheat: Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight. Place the soup in a saucepan or pot and reheat on low, just until warmed through. Add the cream at the end. Do not let the soup boil. You can also reheat individual servings of leftovers in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until warm.
This tomato soup is easy and excellent. If you’re buying Progresso and watching the price go up and up do yourself and the fam a favor, hit your pantry and put this soup together minus ingredients found in the canned versions.
– A. Hayes
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Crock Pot Vegetable Soup
5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
40 minutes mins
Crock Pot Black Bean Soup Recipe
4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
30-Minute Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced or pressed fresh garlic (about 2 large cloves)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, not drained
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or sub with chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup cream or half-and-half, at room temperature
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (or use about 1 tablespoon of dried basil in a pinch)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 more seconds. Stir in bay leaves. Add tomatoes, broth, and brown sugar.
- Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer (uncovered) over low heat for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from pot. Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches) to puree the soup until it reaches the desired consistency. You can leave some chunks of tomatoes, or make it completely smooth.
- Stir in the cream and basil until well combined.
- Serve warm. Garnish each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Start with room temperature cream (rather than cold cream). Room temperature cream or half-and-half is less likely to separate or curdle when added to the hot soup.
- Don’t use milk in lieu of the cream or half-and-half. Milk doesn’t have enough fat to yield the same rich, creamy flavor and texture.
- Don’t omit the sugar. It’s important to use sugar in tomato recipes in order to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. The end result is a more complex, richer tomato flavor.
- The total amount of seasoning necessary will depend on the saltiness of your broth. Taste the soup as you’re cooking it and season with salt and pepper as you go. This is a matter of personal preference, so you can make your soup as salty (or not) as you like.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in December, 2017. It was updated in July, 2024.
Blair:
I’ve just put it in the crock pot. I’ll heat it tomorrow and add the cream for Christmas dinner. Smells great!
Ed
Awesome! Enjoy, Ed! 🙂
Thanks for basil soup and healthy easy pumpkin soup recipes..will use them both during NEXT cold snap here in Houston!
I love your recipes. I am living with someone who has an allergy to onions and garlic. Do you have any suggestions for substitutions? Thanks!
Hey, Gina! That’s tough! I’ve never tried cooking without those two ingredients, so I did some research and found this helpful article: https://www.verywellhealth.com/cooking-without-onions-or-garlic-1324033
For this particular recipe, I would suggest maybe using some celery and/or red bell pepper for a bit of sweetness and flavor. Hope that helps!
It’s delicious! Thanks for an easy, yummy tomato soup recipe.
Can you can this soup?
Hi, Sandy! I haven’t tried canning the soup myself, so I’m honestly not sure.
Thanks for the awesome tomato soup recipe! One change, I thought I had cream at home, but alas I did not. However, I did have sour cream, and used that as a substitute. Amazing!
That’s great! I’m so glad that you made it work with what you had on hand. Thanks for the note, Jeffrey!
How much sour cream did you use? I also just realized I have no half and half or cream, but do have sour cream!
Hi, Mary! I would just add it gradually, to taste. A little dollop if you don’t want it too creamy, or more to make it creamier. Start with a little bit, give it a good stir/taste, and then add more if necessary. Hope you enjoy!
So I made it with a couple spoonfuls of sour cream and it was SO good!!! Thank you! This will be in my regular recipe rotation for life!
Awesome! I’m so glad that it was a hit, Mary. Thanks for coming back here to let us know. 🙂
Mary, I used 1/2 cup of sour cream
Thank you for responding, Jeffrey!
Excellent and quick. I followed the recipe (although the bay leaf got chewed up in the blender – eek!) Daughter had oral surgery and could only eat cold foods and was tired of ice cream. Wanted ‘Panera’ tomato basil soup, but I offered to make instead. Success!
Excellent! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Kim. Thanks for your note!
Making this now! Can coconut milk replace the cream?
Absolutely! I recommend canned coconut milk rather than refrigerated coconut milk beverage, since the canned version is much thicker and creamier. Enjoy, Candi!
What can I substitute to use up a half jar of pasta sauce. ?
Hi, Susan! I think you could add the pasta sauce directly to the soup as is. If it’s too thick or not creamy enough, add extra broth or cream to taste. It should be great! 🙂
Dont have half and half or sourcream, but do have Whole milk Yogurt would that work as the sourcream did?
Hi, Erika! I think that would work fine. Just make sure that the yogurt is at room temperature before stirring it into the soup. It’s less likely to separate or curdle when it hits the warm broth. Enjoy!
So rich and creamy! Goes great with some croutons and shredded cheese.
Thank you! 🙂
What High quality canned tomato’s would you suggest? I know just a higher price, doesn’t always mean better quality lol.. ty
Hi, Lisa! San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor if you can find them: https://www.amazon.com/San-Marzano-Diced-Tomatoes-26-46oz/dp/B016APTKNQ/ref=sr_1_3?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzfuNBhCGARIsAD1nu–Ye3TRLHQ8eRs41EBdFVma6icSlNtl0y2_Irl2M5bAQgCOIGL-GsQaAnvtEALw_wcB&hvadid=178385986772&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9008292&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17633310514209998634&hvtargid=kwd-23910943381&hydadcr=4852_9629456&keywords=san+marzano+diced+tomatoes&qid=1639921852&sr=8-3
Otherwise, I really like Red Gold brand or Hunt’s. 🙂
Can you use diced fire roasted tomatoes?karen
Hi, Karen! Yes, those should work great!
Lovely, will definitely make it again
I just made this and it was fast excellent delicious and easy.
Yay! So glad to hear that, Annette. Thanks for letting us know!
Couple questions. What immersion blender do you recommend and what brand of tomatoes? And in this case, do you use regular diced tomatoes or petit diced? If I had to use whole canned tomatoes, would they be satisfactory if I cut them up ahead of time? Thanks!
I have a Cuisinart immersion blender that’s great, but this KitchenAid version also gets really good reviews and is on sale: https://amzn.to/3u2aAhT
Any canned tomatoes should work fine here, since you’re pureeing them at the end. I use regular diced, but whole canned tomatoes that you chop will also be good. Enjoy!
Can I substitute evaporated canned milk for cream? thanks, jan
That should work just fine!
This tomato soup is easy and excellent. If you’re buying Progresso and watching the price go up and up do yourself and the fam a favor, hit your pantry and put this soup together minus ingredients found in the canned versions.
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed it.