Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe

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The best homemade tomato soup recipe – this roasted tomato basil soup is easy to make with fresh tomatoes, irresistibly creamy & bursting with flavor. It’s a healthy and cozy way to warm up on cold winter days. Follow our step-by-step instructions & watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup from scratch!

a bowl of Homemade Tomato Soup with grilled cheese on the side


In my opinion, tomato soup with grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Chilly days make me want to grab a spoon and dive into a bowl of fresh, warm tomato soup – and this recipe is the best of the best! 

This roasted tomato basil soup is easy to make with fresh tomatoes, irresistibly creamy & bursting with flavor. It’s a healthy and cozy way to warm up on cold winter days. It’s also a perfect recipe to use fresh garden tomatoes and basil during the late summer months. 

Follow our step-by-step instructions & watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup from scratch!

bowl of Homemade Tomato Soup with grilled cheese pieces inside

Tomato Soup Recipe: Ingredients and Substitutions

As always, I recommend making this tomato basil soup recipe exactly as it’s written, however we’ll discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions. 

overhead photo of the ingredients in this Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe
  • Tomatoes. Be sure to choose a vine-ripened, naturally sweet tomato variety for the best flavor. 
  • Onion. I prefer using sweet onions, however any variety works well in this tomato soup recipe. 
  • Garlic. Roasting the fresh garlic with the tomatoes brings out the flavor. You can used minced garlic if necessary. 
  • Olive Oil. Any neutral oil works well, my second and third choices would be avocado oil and canola oil. 
  • Fresh Basil. This can be omitted but I do not recommend leaving it out! 
  • Salted Butter.  Unsalted butter can be used instead of salted butter. 
  • All-purpose flour. To make this creamy tomato soup gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour. 
  • Granulated sugar.  brown sugar or honey can be used instead of white sugar, if desired. 
  • Vegetable broth. Chicken broth is a great substitute for vegetable broth. 
  • Heavy cream. This is optional, but recommended. The cream cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and makes this tomato soup recipe extra-delicious. Whole milk or half and half are great substitutes. 
a bowl of Homemade Tomato Soup with grilled cheese on the side
Homemade Tomato Soup

How to make tomato soup

This homemade tomato soup recipe is very easy to make! As always, we’ll walk through how to make tomato soup step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. 

Roast tomatoes, onion & garlic

Being making this easy tomato soup by combining tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Toss the ingredients with olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until evenly distributed.

two overhead photos showing How to Make Tomato Soup

Next, spread the tomato mixture onto a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the tomatoes from the oven, stir, and roast for an additional 15 minutes, broiling during the last 3 minutes so that some of the tomatoes get lightly charred.

two overhead photos showing How to Make Tomato Soup

Blend tomato mixture

One the tomatoes, onion and garlic are roasted, add the mixture to the container of a high-powered blender (Vitamix), making sure to scrape all the contents from the baking sheet into the blender. Add fresh basil and blend the mixture on high speed until smooth (about 50 seconds).

two overhead photos showing How to Make Tomato Soup

Make a roux

My favorite way to thicken soups, stews, gravy, etc. is by making a roux, which is how we do it in this tomato soup recipe. Begin by melting the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot. 

Then, add flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine. Cook until butter and flour mixture is golden brown (30-60 seconds).

two overhead photos showing How to Make Tomato Soup

Add broth & sugar

Once the roux is ready, add the broth and sugar to the pot and whisk to combine.

two overhead photos showing How to Make Tomato Soup

Add blended tomato mixture

Next, add the blended mixture to the pot and whisk to combine. If desired (for a creamier soup) add ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

Serve

Once the soup is ready, serve it warm with your favorite bread and toppings. Here are some suggestions: 

two overhead photos showing How to Make Tomato Soup

Store

Store any leftover roasted tomato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

How to freeze tomato soup

To freeze, let the soup cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it in individually-sized portions or at least in portions that you’d eat in a sitting as a family. 

Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat. 

front photo of a bowl of Homemade Tomato Soup

FAQs about tomato soup

What can I add to tomato soup to make it taste better?

If you make this recipe I promise this soup will taste amazing. You can add a pinch of sugar, fresh herbs (like the basil in this recipe, additional heavy cream, salt and pepper to adjust it to your liking.

Do you need to peel tomatoes for soup?

You do not need to peel tomatoes, especially because the tomato mixture is blended until it’s smooth.

How do you thicken tomato soup?

The roux thickens this recipe. However, you can thicken tomato soup in a few ways:
1) Cook it uncovered until some of the moisture cooks off and it thickens.
2) Add a combination of 1 TBS water and 1 TBS flour or cornstarch and cook uncovered.
3) Add 1 to 2 TBS of tomato paste and cook until thickened.

How do you make tomato soup less acidic?

Full-fat dairy like cream or half and half helps reduce the acidity of tomato soup.

Can you freeze tomato soup?

To freeze, let the soup cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it in individually-sized portions or at least in portions that you’d eat in a sitting as a family. 

More delicious recipes

overhead photo of grilled cheese being dipped into a bowl of Homemade Tomato Soup

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Best Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe

Laura
The best homemade tomato soup recipe – this roasted tomato basil soup is easy to make with fresh tomatoes, irresistibly creamy & bursting with flavor. It’s a healthy and cozy way to warm up on cold winter days. Follow our step-by-step instructions & watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup from scratch!
5 from 151 votes
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 111
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet, set aside.
  • Combine tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until evenly distributed.
  • Spread tomato mixture onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven, stir, and roast for an additional 15 minutes, broiling during the last 3 minutes so that some of the tomatoes get lightly charred.
  • Add roasted tomato mixture to the container of a high-powered blender, making sure to scrape all the contents of the baking sheet into the blender.
  • Add fresh basil and blend mixture on high speed until smooth (about 50 seconds).
  • In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  • Add flour to melted butter and whisk to combine. Cook until butter and flour mixture is golden brown (30-60 seconds).
  • Add broth and sugar and whisk to combine.
  • Add blended mixture to the pot and whisk to combine. If desired (for a creamier soup) add ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.
  • Serve warm with croutons, chopped fresh basil, etc.

Video

Notes

Ingredient notes & substitutions

  • Tomatoes. Be sure to choose a vine-ripened, naturally sweet tomato variety for the best flavor. 
  • Onion. I prefer using sweet onions, however any variety works well in this tomato soup recipe. 
  • Garlic. Roasting the fresh garlic with the tomatoes brings out the flavor. You can used minced garlic if necessary. 
  • Olive Oil. Any neutral oil works well, my second and third choices would be avocado oil and canola oil. 
  • Fresh Basil. This can be omitted but I do not recommend leaving it out! 
  • Salted Butter.  Unsalted butter can be used instead of salted butter. 
  • All-purpose flour. To make this creamy tomato soup gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour. 
  • Granulated sugar.  brown sugar or honey can be used instead of white sugar, if desired. 
  • Vegetable broth. Chicken broth is a great substitute for vegetable broth. 
  • Heavy cream. This is optional, but recommended. The cream cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and makes this tomato soup recipe extra-delicious. Whole milk or half and half are great substitutes. 

Store

Store any leftover roasted tomato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. 

How to freeze tomato soup

To freeze, let the soup cool to room temperature. Then, transfer the tomato soup to freezer-friendly containers and freeze for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it in individually-sized portions or at least in portions that you’d eat in a sitting as a family. 
Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1796IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

The photos in this post were taken by Jamie from Dishing Out Health! 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 




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Recipe Rating




108 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have a bumper crop of Roma tomatoes this season and needed some more ideas! I had tried homemade tomato soup once before and it was nothing I wanted to make again but this recipe hit the sweet spot. It was easy to make and tastes like what you get when you order it in a restaurant 😋. I did have a bit more than 3 pounds so I had to roast longer and I didn’t have any cream but will use the next time.

  2. 5 stars
    Don’t usually make comments but this soup is REALLY good. Thought I would need heavy whipping cream to make it creamy, but it is creamy all on its own. Ran through the blender a bit longer to make it smooth. Thank you for this

  3. 5 stars
    Very easy and very tasty! I used a combination of tomato’s from the garden-steak, roma and grape tomatoes. Super easy!!!

  4. Hello! I cur my tomamtoes qhy to small will they still be okay to use ? I want to say I accidentally cut them into .5-1 inches instead of two

  5. 5 stars
    This was my first attempt EVER at making tomato soup and I really enjoyed how easy it was and how delicious it came out. It probably would have came out a little better if I had used fresh basil instead of dried but still went over very well with the whole family.