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This homemade tomato soup recipe is no frills! Simple ingredients to recreate the nostalgic taste of the tomato soup we grew up with.

Big pot of tomato soup on a wooden cutting board.

Homemade Tomato Soup: Nostalgia at Its Finest.

I’m not sure there’s anything that calls to our childhood more than a cozy bowl of tomato soup.

Like most, I grew up on the canned variation. And honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It worked for us.

But there’s no denying that blending your own tomato soup makes the flavors POP. We get the same cozy feel with a much richer flavor.

Plus, you can control the texture for your preference. Some like their tomato soup a bit pulpy while others prefer it to be velvety smooth.

With my tomato soup recipe, you can have it either way.

Is Tomato Soup Good for You?

It sure is good for the soul, so I say YES.

On a serious note though, this tomato soup recipe has a lot to offer. Sure, there’s a bit of cream drizzled into it. But aside from that you’re getting a healthy dose of lycopene, flavonoids, vitamins C and E, and other antioxidants.

So don’t let that indulgent drizzle of cream deter you!

Bowl of tomato soup with cream drizzle, crushed crackers, and basil leaves.

Only Unfussy Ingredients Here!

This homemade tomato soup doesn’t get fancy, my friends. There’s no addition of roasted red peppers or basil or anything of that sort.

This recipe is no frills and as close as possible to the tomato soup we grew up on.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Butter
  • Vidalia or sweet onion
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Canned diced or crushed tomatoes
  • Vegetable broth
  • Heavy cream
  • Sugar
  • Dried oregano
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked black pepper

Here’s the Gist on How to Make Tomato Soup.

  1. Melt butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir it all up every now and then to avoid burning.
  2. Pop the tomatoes (and their juices!) into the pot along with the vegetable broth, heavy cream, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a boil over high heat, and once you reach a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. There are two ways you can blend the soup—with an immersion blender or with a powerful blender. An immersion blender is the quicker way to go and will result in a lightly textured soup with a slight pulpiness, whereas using a good blender will blend your soup into a smooth velvety mixture. So go based on your preference.
  4. Once the soup is blended, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. (Does your soup taste acidic? See the recipe tips + tricks below for an easy solution.)

Dutch oven full of tomato soup prior to being blendy, full of chunky tomatoes and veggies.

Process shots of cream being added to pot of soup, then being stirred and blended with an immersion blender until smooth.

Big pot of tomato soup on a wooden cutting board.

Useful Tools for This Recipe:

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

  1. If the soup tastes overly acidic, bring it to a simmer and stir in about a teaspoon of baking soda. The soup will foam and fizz as the baking soda alkalizes the acid from the tomatoes. Some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others, so this isn’t always necessary, but it’s a great trick to have up your sleeve!
  2. If you want a very smooth tomato soup, be sure to use a high-powered blender like this one. Using an immersion blender or even a food processor will still leave you with a bit of texture/pulpy bits.
  3. This soup will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
  4. You can also freeze homemade tomato soup! Just store the soup in a freezer-friendly container and freeze it for up to 6 months.
  5. To amp things up, garnish your bowl of soup with an extra drizzle of cream, crushed crackers, croutons, and/or fresh herbs.

Bowl of tomato soup with cream drizzle, crushed crackers, and basil leaves.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

Here Are Some More Soups to Cozy Up With

5 from 32 votes

Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe

This homemade tomato soup recipe is no frills! Simple ingredients to recreate the nostalgic taste of the tomato soup we grew up with.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 2 cups diced sweet onion, like Vidalia
  • 1 rib of celery, sliced or roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 14 oz cans or boxes of diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, more if needed
  • A few cranks of cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven.
  • Once the butter has fully melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic, and bring it simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir it all up every now and then to avoid any burning.
  • Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the pot, then add the vegetable broth, heavy cream, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes.

If using an immersion blender:

  • Place the immersion blender into the soup and blend on medium-high speed until the soup reaches your preferred consistency.

If using a high-powered blender:

  • Carefully transfer the soup to the blender container. You'll likely need to blend the soup in batches. Careful not to overfill itโ€”the liquid is hot and you don't want any spills! Blend the soup until you reach your desired consistency. With a high-powered blender, you can achieve a very silky smooth soup
  • Once the soup is blended, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. See the recipe notes for how to deal with a soup that tastes too acidic.

Notes

For a too-acidic soup: bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in a teaspoon of baking soda. The soup will foamโ€”this is the baking soda alkalizing the acid from the tomatoes! Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes more before giving it another taste test as the baking soda alters the flavor of the soup when it's initially added.
Some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others, so this step isn't always necessary. But it's a great trick to have up your sleeve.ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g
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5 from 32 votes (1 rating without comment)

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61 Comments

  1. I always love to see if people use canned tomatoes or fresh. Iโ€™m all for tinned/canned, myself. Nothing against San Marzano, but Iโ€™ve started using crushed jersey tomatoes, and theyโ€™re fantastic!!! Great soup recipe!

    1. Thanks, Mimi! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I agree, nothing wrong with canned! I have yet to try it with fresh tomatoes but am definitely going to. I’ll look for Jersey! I feel like someone recently mentioned these to me…can’t remember who or where, darnit.