Although my childhood self was not keen on tomatoes, I do always remember liking tomato soup.
Later, as an adult, I tried to force myself to enjoy the taste of tomatoes. It took me almost a decade after marrying Dave to FINALLY get to the point where I liked eating tomatoes — meanwhile, tomato soup was often on our menu plan as it was one the many soups we both really enjoyed.
Of course, it was always store-bought tomato soup from a can (or a box if we felt like buying the fancier stuff.)
Nowadays, I make tomato soup from scratch, and it’s not nearly as difficult or time-consuming as you might think — especially if you used canned tomatoes!
I have made tomato soup from fresh-from-the-garden roasted tomatoes, but it is SIGNIFICANTLY more work than using canned tomatoes, and I honestly don’t think the taste is much better.
It has a “different” taste, but based on the amount of extra effort (and extra dishes) required to roast, puree, and strain the tomatoes, it’s not something I plan to do with any sort of regularity.
On the other hand, homemade tomato soup using canned tomatoes is a meal I can whip up in 30 minutes — which is just enough time to make several grilled cheese sandwiches and set the table!
If you have extra time, you can let this soup simmer on the stove for a while… maybe with a rind of fresh Parmesan in it (or just a little shredded Parmesan cheese).
Either way, this homemade tomato soup is the perfect meal for cooler fall nights — one you can most definitely pull off on busy weeknights!
30-Minute Homemade Tomato Soup
This homemade tomato soup is a perfect comfort food for Fall -- one you can easily have on the table in under a half-hour!
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 T. minced garlic
- 1/2 t. dried basil
- 1/2 t. dried oregano
- 1/2 t. dried thyme
- 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 t. dried rosemary
- pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 T. brown sugar
- 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes*
- 2-3 c. broth
- salt to taste**
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper, and rosemary. Sauteé until garlic is tender (about 2-3 minutes
- Whisk in tomato paste and brown sugar until smooth, stirring continually. (1 minute)
- Add in crushed tomatoes and as much of the broth as you want to get the desired thickness.
- Add salt to taste (see notes below).
- Let simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese or even a little drizzle of heavy cream.
Notes
* If you don't have crushed tomatoes in the house, simply put diced or whole canned tomatoes in a blender and pulse for a few seconds.
** The amount of salt this recipe needs will vary significantly depending on the type of broth you use. I use homemade bone broth with no added salt -- so I usually add a full teaspoon of salt to my soup. However, store-bought broth has a lot of extra salt in it already -- so you might not need to add nearly as much salt as I do. Just taste it a few times before you decide!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 180Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 7mgSodium 442mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 6gProtein 6g
Nutritional information is approximate and does not account for additional ingredients or added toppings.
NOTE: I usually use home-canned tomatoes, but I just wanted to show that this recipe is very doable with store-bought tomatoes too.
There you have it… a simple recipe for one of my most favorite comfort foods, and just in time for the official start of Fall later this week!
What is your favorite Fall soup?
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Laura says
I have wanted to try this recipe for a while and finally made it today. It is delicious! I added a bit of heavy cream too. Just one question, how do you store leftover soup? Would you freeze it?
Andrea says
yay — glad you enjoyed the soup!
You can easily keep this soup in the fridge for several days, or you can freeze it. I’d freeze or store in portion-size containers so someone can just grab one for lunch or whatever meal it is.
Christine says
Andrea if you’re still roasting vegetables, they make a great soup as well.
Zucchini, asparagus, carrots, onion, tomatoes roasted then blended either in a blender or using an immersion blender, chicken stock, and a little 1/2 & 1/2 for extra creaminess. Divine!
Andrea says
yes, I do this! In fact, I JUST pulled some roasted veggies out of the oven 5 minutes ago — they will be roasted butternut squash (+ other roasted veggies) soup for dinner tonight!
Pascale says
Hi Andrea,
Thank you for the recipe. A few months ago, I tried making some tomato soup with only 7 ingredients if you count salt and pepper and the results were great. Everyone who tried it loved it. Here’s my recipe. I use organic ingredients, but you can choose whatever you prefer.
Diced tomatoes
Imagine Free-Range Chicken Broth
Basil
Salt and Pepper
Blend these ingredients in a blender.
Then add the blended mixture to a saucepan.
In it, add a rounded tablespoon of ghee or butter and some parmesan.
Let it simmer until ghee/butter is melted and parmesan is blended.
The added fats make for a nutritious meal.
That’s it.
Bon appétit!
Lisa D Collin says
As an Italian, I BEG OF YOU to consider trying fresh garlic. It is so much better than the already-minced stuff. Pop a few cloves out of their paper and roast them right along with your tomatoes. You will love the flavor!!
Andrea says
haha — yes, IF I roast tomatoes, I do roast the garlic too… but Dave and I are far from “foodies” so the taste difference between the fresh and already minced is completely lost on us. It’s not worth the extra time and stinky garlic smell on my hands for days — at least not right now. I like having the ability to squeeze a bit out and move on with my recipe!
Brandette W. says
I also started making homemade tomato soup in my crockpot. I learned a few years back and we haven’t looked back. We love the cans of Campbell’s tomato, but homemade is so so tasty. It is really easy too since I use canned tomatoes and just throw everything in the crockpot to simmer all day long. We like a more creamy tomato soup, so that’s what I make. When we made the canned tomato soup, we would add butter and use milk instead of water.
Sue Pipping says
I have a fabulous recipe for homemade tomato soup that is canned, ready to heat and eat. My daughter and I have made it for many years. I got the recipe from my mother. It uses obviously tomatoes, but also cery, onions and green peppers. Once cooked together, it is put through a Victorio for a smooth, tomato soup. It does make a large batch and can be canned in jars or frozen. Yum, yum.
J says
How about cream of tomato soup like Mom used to make? Anyone do this? Is it just half & half cream instead of broth? And does anyone remember Encore frozen stuffed peppers (company stopped making them a few years ago) and have a recipe with that wonderful sweet-tangy tomato sauce?
Andrea says
yes, the cream is a great addition!
Linds says
Grilled cheese and tomato is excellent!
Andrea says
one of my favorite simple meals!
Becky says
Sounds delicious!
When I canned tomatoes, I did the process of skinning them and packing them and making a giant mess and I have since sworn off that process and just throw whole tomatoes in the freezer. When they defrost, the peels fall right off and then I can chop them up for whatever use I have. But, I’m running out of freezer space! I notice that you have gone a little different route for your canning – looks like chopped and skins still on. Do you just cut up the tomatoes, pack the jars, pour boiling water, and can?
Thanks!
Andrea says
I usually do what you mentioned (skinning them and packing them into jars — yes, messy!
However, a couple of years ago I had SOOOOO many cherry tomatoes that I just cut them into quarters with the skins on and canned them — sort of as an experiment! It worked just fine for me and we liked the taste!
Becky says
Perfect! Thanks!
Diana says
Yum! This sounds a lot like my tomato soup recipe, although our spices are different and I don’t add the sugar or tomato paste. But the basics of sautéed onion + spices + tomato + broth is the same. I use cumin when I saute the onion/garlic. If I use dry oregano/basil I put it in with the tomatoes and broth, but if I add fresh basil I put it in at the end. I also cook it with the diced tomatoes and then puree it all in the blender just before serving. Homemade tomato soup beats out cans and boxes completely, in my opinion!
Andrea says
I’ve tried not adding the sugar, but it always tastes bitter without it. Do you add something that would be a sugar substitute?
Diana says
No, I don’t. But I do NOT prefer sweet marinara sauce or sweet pizza sauce either–so maybe it’s a preference thing? I don’t notice a bitter taste. I do always used storebought canned tomatoes–they don’t have sugar, but maybe they’re a different variety that were sweeter to start with? Or maybe the cumin covers it up a little? If you like it that way, keep on! 🙂
Andrea says
good to know — thanks for getting back to me. I do think I prefer a slightly sweet marinara as well — so maybe that’s why I like the sugar in my soup!
Jenny says
San Marzano or a similar type of canned tomatoes are pretty sweet, but NOT like that awful sugar-sweet grocery-store stuff. I buy big cans and portion them out and freeze.
Christie says
My mom uses a dash of cinnamon in her tomato sauce rather than sugar, you really can’t tell it’s there, but it cuts the acidity that makes the sauce seem bitter. I add it to all my ‘home made’ tomato sauces that the recipe calls for sugar.
Andrea says
Thank you so much for this tip Christie! I’m going to try it TODAY as I’m making some pasta sauce with garden tomatoes.
Kim says
This sounds easy and delicious! And, if we EVER get highs below 95 this fall in Texas, I will definitely try this.
Andrea says
haha — yes, wait for cooler weather and then enjoy!