Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup Recipe - Simply Stacie (2024)

You’ll never buy canned soup again! This is the best homemade cream of tomato soup recipe made with a few pantry staples and a little fresh basil.

Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup Recipe - Simply Stacie (1)

Fight the chill on a cold day with a soul-warming bowl of homemade tomato soup. It’s easy to make—ready in about half an hour—so you can have a healthy lunch or dinner on the table in no time.

Plus, it’s a kid-friendly favorite dish. Who can resist a hot, gooey grilled cheese sandwich paired with creamy tomato soup? Perfection.

The best part is that you don’t even need to make a special trip to the store to pull this creamy tomato soup recipe together. I bet you’ll find everything you need in your pantry or fridge.

Let’s get cooking!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

  • Classic comfort food you can prepare using simple ingredients from the pantry and fridge
  • Great way to warm up quickly on a cold winter’s day
  • A family favorite, especially when paired with buttery grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Ready in only 35 minutes, so it’s a wonderful weeknight meal
  • Easy recipe to double to enjoy for lunches all week
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Ingredients

Here are all the homemade cream of tomato soup ingredients you’ll need to get this meal on the table today:

  • Olive Oil: Used for cooking the onions and garlic until tender. You can also substitute butter if you prefer, but cook it at a lower temperature.
  • Onion: A yellow onion, finely chopped, works best for a good tomato soup. Although they’re strong when raw, yellow onions mellow out while cooking to become sweeter and milder.
  • Garlic: Adds flavor to any dish. Sub ¾ tsp garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
  • Crushed Tomatoes: You probably have some in your pantry already! You can also use whole tomatoes, but you’ll have to puree them in small batches in a food processor or blender first.
  • Baking Soda: This ingredient is really important! Baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the tomatoes and keeps from curdling the milk. Keep your tomato soup chunk-free by adding a quarter teaspoon of baking soda during the cooking process.
  • Dried Parsley: It enhances the flavor. If you have fresh parsley on hand, you can use that, too. One tablespoon of dried parsley is the equivalent of 3 tablespoons of the fresh stuff.
  • Salt and Pepper: Add and adjust these to taste. Freshly cracked black pepper adds flavor and depth.
  • Fresh Basil: A yummy addition to almost any dish—add 1 teaspoon of dried basil if you don’t have fresh on hand.
  • Honey: It slightly sweetens the soup and helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Skim or Low-Fat Milk: This is the perfect option for a lighter soup, but if you prefer a richer creamy flavor, try whole milk or heavy cream instead.
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How to Make Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

  • Step One: Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot until the onion is translucent.
  • Step Two: Add in the tomatoes, baking soda, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Step Three: Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Step Four: Add the honey and basil. Taste to see if you need to add more salt or pepper to the soup.
  • Step Five: Add skim milk (or whatever milk you have on hand). Use two to three cups of milk, depending on whether you like your soup thicker or thinner. Continue to heat until the soup is nice and warm.

Equipment Needed

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What to Serve with Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

I love serving this easy tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Nothing brings back delicious childhood memories like dunking a sandwich in a hot bowl of soup.

This healthy tomato soup recipe also pairs nicely with a tossed side salad. That’s an easy way to fit an additional serving or two of veggies into your day without feeling stuffed.

Serve it with homemade bread. It doesn’t get much tastier than this scrumptious garlic bread recipe.

Cheese chips are tasty with tomato-based dishes like this one and would be fun to dunk into soup.

Finally, cheese toast croutons pair perfectly with a big bowl of creamy soup.

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Tomato Soup Toppings

Want to make your tomato soup a little more interesting? Try one of these delicious topping ideas to kick it up a notch:

  • Shredded or grated cheese
  • Bacon crumbles
  • Tortilla strips
  • Sour cream
  • Jalapenos
  • Green onions
  • Bread crumbs
  • Toasted nuts

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Adding cold milk to a hot mixture can cause curdling. In addition to adding a little baking soda to the tomato mixture first, temper the milk with a few tablespoons of the hot soup before adding it to the rest of the pot.
  • Besides honey, you can add a little sugar, a pinch of salt, or butter to help neutralize tomatoes that taste too acidic.
  • For homemade creamy tomato soup that’s too thin or “watery”, extend the simmering time to allow the soup to reduce.
  • Use a nonreactive pot when cooking tomato-based recipes.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Use fire roasted tomatoes for more depth of flavor.
  • If you like a spicy kick, add a can of diced green chiles, some red pepper flakes, or a little pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Add shredded parmesan cheese to the mixture as it cooks to add a bit of saltiness and to help neutralize acidity.
  • This is a slightly chunky soup. For a smoother soup, puree or blend the crushed tomatoes before cooking or use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot.

Storage Instructions

Best Way to Store Creamy Tomato Soup

Store leftover homemade tomato soup in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Reheat the soup over medium heat until warmed through.

Can I Freeze Cream of Tomato Soup?

If you’re using a plant-based milk instead of regular milk or cream, it’s safe to freeze this soup because there’s no cream to separate. However, cream-based soups don’t typically freeze well. Instead, cook all the ingredients to the point just before milk is added, and freeze that instead. When you reheat it, add the milk. Easy peasy!

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Cream of Tomato Soup FAQs

Can I Use Plant-Based Milk In Cream of Tomato Soup In Place of Regular Milk?

Yes! Although it changes the taste of this easy tomato soup recipe, you can absolutely use almond milk or any non-dairy milk of your choice in place of the regular milk. If you do, report back to us to let us know how it works out.

Is Cream of Tomato Soup Fattening?

That depends on the type of milk or cream used. This recipe is much lighter than many rich soup recipes because it uses skim milk instead of heavy cream.

Heavy cream adds more fat and calories, but it also adds richness and creaminess.

Use whichever your family (and diet) prefer.

Why Does My Tomato Soup Taste Bitter?

Tomato soup tastes bitter when the tomatoes are more acidic than usual. Fix it by adding a pinch of baking soda, a tablespoon of honey, or a tablespoon of sugar.

Soup Recipes

  • Sausage and Cabbage Soup: This low carb soup is the perfect savory soup for a winter’s day. It’s easy to make, tastes delish, and is low carb.
  • Hamburger Soup: You’ll love my take on my grandma’s favorite soup. It’s hearty, filling, and flavorful. It’s the perfect pick-me-up on a blustery day.
  • Cauliflower Soup with Bacon: Creamy cauliflower soup is topped with crispy bacon and scallions for a dish that will warm you up in no time.
  • Cabbage Roll Soup: Get all the flavor of cabbage rolls without the fuss. This is about 100 times easier to make and will become a winter staple for your family.
  • Tomato Florentine Soup: Ready in just 20 minutes, this yummy soup is full of tomatoes, pasta, and spinach, and will be an instant favorite.

You’ll also like this Cream of Celery Soup and Tomato Lentil Soup.

Why buy canned soup when the homemade version is so much better? Pin this recipe to come back to it when you’re ready to start cooking. It’s sure to become one of your favorite recipes for winter.

Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

If you make the recipe, rate it on the recipe card below and tag me on Instagram and use #simplystacie. I like sharing the photos on my Instagram stories!

Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup Recipe - Simply Stacie (9)

Rate this Recipe

4.44 from 32 votes

Cream of Tomato Soup

Created by Stacie Vaughan

Servings 4

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

You'll never buy canned soup again! This is the best homemade tomato soup recipe made with a few pantry staples and a little fresh basil.

Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion finely chopped
  • ½ tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28oz can
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2-3 cups skim or low fat milk

Instructions

  • Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until it is translucent.

  • Add the tomatoes, baking soda, parsley, salt and pepper.

  • Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium low heat.

  • Add the honey and basil. Check and add more salt and pepper as needed.

  • Add in 2 to 3 cups of skim or low fat milk depending on whether you prefer your cream of tomato soup thicker or thinner. Warm & serve.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.4g | Protein: 6.1g | Fat: 7.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 2.5mg | Sodium: 167.5mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 13.1g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course Soups

Cuisine American

Keyword cream of tomato soup, tomato soup

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FAQs

Why do you add baking soda to homemade tomato soup? ›

A small pinch of baking soda will tame any unwanted acidity in the soup.

How to make cream of tomato soup without curdling? ›

When you add baking soda to tomato soup (or sauce, or chili), it neutralizes the acid in the tomatoes. Not only will this make the tomatoes taste less acidic (good news if your tomatoes turned out more sour than you expected), but it also means that you can now add milk to your soup without risking curdling it.

What happens when you add milk to tomato soup? ›

Tomatoes are very acidic and milk or cream is added to them, curdling can occur. Curdling will be more likely to happen when the ratio of acid to cream increases or when mixing a cold and hot mixture.

How much baking soda should I add to tomato soup? ›

Tomato flavors really shine, and your sauce or soup will not curdle if you add milk. - Adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to 1 cup of tomato sauce or soup will make flavors sparkle and become less acidic. - Turn regular pasta into ramen noodles--add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 2 quarts of salted boiling water.

Why put sugar in tomato soup? ›

The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.

What can I substitute for heavy cream in tomato soup? ›

To replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream in your recipe, add 2 tablespoons (19 grams) of cornstarch to 1 cup (237 mL) of milk and stir, allowing the mixture to thicken. You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe.

How do you thicken cream of tomato soup? ›

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Why does my cream of tomato soup curdle? ›

Avoiding separation. The first step to avoiding curdling dairy products in your soup is to not add them to your pot or slow cooker immediately. Essentially, the longer and hotter they cook, the more likely these ingredients are to start separating.

How to add depth of flavor to tomato soup? ›

Olive oil and butter – They create the soup's rich base. To make this recipe dairy-free, feel free to use additional olive oil instead of the butter. Carrots, onion, and garlic – These aromatic veggies give the soup savory depth of flavor. Balsamic vinegar – It adds sweetness and tang.

Why does my homemade tomato soup taste bitter? ›

That bitterness could be acid from the tomatoes and one way people typically fix that is by adding a small amount of sugar.

Why does my tomato soup have no flavor? ›

Always make sure you're using a non-reactive pot when cooking tomatoes, and taste-test, adding more baking soda (very sparingly!), sugar, or cream if your soup needs it.

How to jazz up tomato soup? ›

Swirl some red wine vinegar into the soup and serve with a stack of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves on a toasted baguette. Add a drizzle of pesto (homemade or store bought) and finish with toasted pine nuts and croutons. Add a teaspoon or two of Thai red curry paste and some cooked rice, then top with cooked shrimp.

How to stop milk from curdling in tomato soup? ›

Temper the cream first. Add a liitle bit of tomato sauce at a time to the cream until it is warm and then add it all back into the tomato sauce. This will keep it from curdling.

Does tomato soup taste better with water or milk? ›

A soup made with milk is usually richer and more luxurious than one made with just water or stock. This addition helps make the soup feel more comforting. Adding milk or cream to a soup can balance contrasting tastes and help ingredients that don't typically mesh blend seamlessly.

What does baking soda do to soup? ›

Adding baking soda to a soup raises the pH and contributes sodium ions, both of which make the pectin that holds many vegetables' cell walls together break down faster. The result? Restaurant-level creaminess.

What does baking soda do to tomato sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Does baking soda make tomato soup less acidic? ›

Even a small amount of baking soda significantly raises the pH of the sauce. While this reduces acidic taste, it also tamps down on the brightness that gives the tomato complexity.

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