Tomato Soup Recipe – Love and Lemon

The best tomato soup recipe! It’s rich, flavorful and made with pantry ingredients. Pair it with a grilled cheese for a delicious, comforting meal!

Homemade tomato soup is like a hug in a bowl, when it’s as gray as the weather lately. right All I need.

This tomato soup recipe is a cold weather staple in our house. It couldn’t be easier to make, and the ingredients are basically pantry basics that I always have on hand. But more importantly, this tomato soup is creamy, comforting and full of rich flavor. Tomatoes make it tangy, balsamic vinegar adds sweetness, and red pepper flakes give it a hint of heat. You can serve it on its own, topped with a swirl of olive oil, black pepper and fresh basil leaves…or you can pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich. If you’re into comfort food as much as I was recently, I’d definitely vote for the latter.

Tomato Soup Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this homemade tomato soup recipe:

• tomato, of course! Canned diced tomatoes, to be exact. If you prefer to make a tomato soup recipe using fresh tomatoes, check out this tomato basil soup recipe instead.
• Olive oil and butter – They make a rich base for soups. To make this recipe dairy-free, use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter.
• Carrots, onions and garlic – This aromatic vegetable adds depth of flavor to the soup.
• Flavored vinegar – It adds sweetness and tang.
• Vegetable broth – Use store bought, or make your own. Water works here too!
• Full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream – Honestly, both are amazing! They make the soup equally creamy. If you go the dairy-free route, I promise, you won’t taste coconut!
• dried thyme – For warm, earthy scents.
• Stay red pepper – For heat.
• Fresh basil leaves – You can’t beat the combination of tomatoes and basil! I sprinkle basil over the soup to add fresh flavor.
• and salt and pepper – Make all the flavors pop!

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to make tomato soup

This homemade tomato soup recipe is so easy to make! Here’s how it goes:

First fry the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar.

Next, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the canned tomatoes, water, coconut milk or heavy cream, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and several grinds of pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Then, mix the soup portion. This step makes it very creamy! Remove 4 cups of soup from pot and set aside. Transfer the remaining soup to a blender and blend until smooth. If you prefer, you can use an immersion blender for this step, although I prefer the smoother texture I get when I use my upright blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot along with 4 cups of chunky soup. Stir to combine.

Finally, season to taste and serve. That’s it!

Serving suggestion for homemade tomato soup

When you’re ready to eat, swirl your bowl with olive oil, a drizzle of coconut milk or heavy cream, lots of freshly ground black pepper and fresh basil. Enjoy the soup with a side of crusty bread or top it with homemade croutons for crunch. And of course, you can’t pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Want something lighter on the side? A cup of this tomato soup is delicious with a simple green salad, my kale Caesar salad, or a classic Caesar salad.

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze tomato soup for up to 3 months!

More favorite soup recipes

If you like this tomato soup recipe, try one of these homemade soups: