Best Tomato Soup Recipe

Name: Best Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds tomatoes ((fresh, cut into 2” pieces)); ½ onion ((diced, 1 cup)); 5 cloves garlic ((peeled and chopped)); 2 Tablespoons olive oil; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper ((freshly ground)); ¼ cup fresh basil; 2 Tablespoons salted butter; 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 quart vegetable broth; ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream ((optional))

By Laura

Posted Feb 19, 2021, Updated Mar 10, 2025

5 from 238 votes

213 Comments

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The best homemade tomato soup recipe – fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic are roasted then blended with fresh basil for a rich & flavorful, smooth & creamy tomato soup that’s completely irresistible. Follow my step-by-step photo instructions and watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup better than any restaurant or canned variety!

A bowl of creamy tomato soup with a spoon taking a scoop, and a swirl of cream on top. Three toasted grilled cheese croutons and fresh basil leaves garnish the tomato soup. The edge of a striped napkin is in the lower left hand corner

Tomato soup with grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and this is the best tomato soup recipe you’ll ever make or eat!

This cozy, velvety-smooth soup is the perfect way to warm up on cold winter days. It’s also a delicious recipe to utilize fresh garden tomatoes and basil during the late summer months.

Follow my step-by-step instructions & watch the video to learn how to make tomato soup from scratch that will have you ditching the canned varieties once and for all!

With over 200 5-star reviews, you know you can’t go wrong! Like this one from Brenda:

I love this recipe! It’s truly the best tomato soup! It definitely my go to for an easy dinner paired with toasted cheese sandwiches. My garden is overflowing with tomatoes so I’m making another batch today. 😊
– Brenda

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a bowl of tomato soup with a swirl of cream on top garnished with black pepper and basil leaves. A hand holding a spoon is taking a bite of the soup .

Tomato Soup: 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.

the labeled ingredients in this homemade tomato soup recipe in bowls like tomatoes, onion, basil, vegetable broth, minced garlic and more.

Tomatoes. use your favorite variety of ripe tomatoes. You can also use canned or jarred tomatoes.
Onion. use a sweet yellow or white onion.
Minced Garlic. use jarred or fresh!
Olive Oil. avocado oil or canola oil are good substitutes.
Fresh Basil. This can be omitted but I do not recommend it, it truly adds to the flavor.
Salted Butter. Unsalted butter is a great substitute.
All-purpose flour. To make this tomato soup gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Granulated sugar. honey is a great substitute.
Vegetable broth. Chicken broth works well!
Heavy cream. This is optional, but recommended. The cream cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and makes it extra creamy of course. Whole milk or half and half work well too.

How to Make Tomato Soup

This homemade tomato soup recipe is 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.

Begin by lightly spraying a large baking sheet with olive oil. This will ensure the tomato mixture does not stick to the pan when it’s roasted.

a gold baking sheet greased with olive oil on a gray background with a striped towel in the top left corner

Roast the Tomatoes

Then, stir the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

A glass bowl with chopped tomatoes, diced onions, olive oil, crushed garlic, and a sprinkle of black pepper— in the process of making tomato soup. A wooden spoon lies beside the bowl on a gray countertop, with a striped cloth and small bowl of olive oil partially visible.

A glass bowl with chopped tomatoes and diced onions is mixed with a wooden spoon, the start to making this tomato soup recipe.

Next, spread the tomato mixture onto a baking sheet in a single layer. It’s important that the tomatoes aren’t overly crowded on the pan or on top of each other so they roast evenly.

tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and onions spread out on a baking sheet before roasting to make this homemade tomato soup recipe

Then, roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes. Since the tomatoes shrink in size as they are cooked, it’s important to stir the ingredients once after 15 minutes of roasting to make sure they’re all evenly spread on the pan and roasting well.

tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and onions being stirred with a wooden spoon on a baking sheet after roasting for 15 minutes making this homemade tomato soup recipe

After stirring, return the tomatoes to the oven and and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Be sure to broil the tomatoes during the last 2-3 minutes so that some of the tomatoes get lightly charred. This adds a rich depth of flavor that makes this soup taste amazing!

tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and onions being stirred with a wooden spoon on a baking sheet after roasting

Blend the Tomatoes

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.

Then, add the basil to the tomatoes in the blending container.

roasted tomato mixture in the container of a vitamix blender before blending making tomato soup

fresh basil leaves added on top of a roasted tomato mixture in the container of a vitamix blender before blending making tomato soup

Blend the tomato mixture on high speed until silky smooth – which takes about 30 to 60 seconds.

tomato puree after blending in a container of a blender

Make a Roux

Once the tomato puree is ready, it’s time to finishing making the tomato soup. We want it nice and thick, and the best way to thicken soups, stews, gravy, etc. is by making a roux. To do this, by melting the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot.

two square of butter in a white pot making homemade tomato soup, a striped towel is in the top left corner

melted butter in a white pot making homemade tomato soup, a striped towel is in the top left corner

Then, add the flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine.

flour added to melted butter in a white pot making homemade tomato soup, a striped towel is in the top left corner

flour whisked into to melted butter in a white pot making homemade tomato soup

Cook until butter and flour mixture is bubbly and slightly thickened (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).

flour and melted butter cooking in a white pot making a roux to thicken this homemade tomato soup recipe

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

vegetable broth being poured into a butter/flour roux in a white pot to make tomato soup

a hand whisking tomato soup in a white pot with a striped towel in the top left corner

Next, add the blended mixture to the pot and whisk to combine.

tomato puree being poured from a blending container into a white pot with vegetable broth in it making tomato soup

tomato soup in a pot with a wire whisk inside after mixing making tomato soup

If desired (for a creamier soup) add ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream.

a hand pouring heavy cream into a pot of tomato soup

a pot of tomato soup with the heavy cream partially whisked into it, the whisk is in the pot and a striped towel sits beside the pot in the top left corner

Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

a pot of homemade tomato soup recipe garnished with cracked black pepper. There's a ladle in the soup taking a scoop.

Serve

Once the soup is ready, serve it warm with your favorite bread and toppings, and definitely make this grilled cheese sandwich! Here are some suggestions:

Add a swirl of cream, a dash of freshly chopped basil or a spoonful of parmesan cheese to the top.
Bread. dip pieces of crusty no-knead bread or pretzel bread into the tomato basil soup.
Make homemade croutons or cornbread croutons and serve on top of the soup.
These homemade dinner rolls are a great companion to this creamy tomato soup.
Have a “soup night” and make some of these soup recipes as well: potato soup (seriously the best), chicken noodle soup, sweet potato soup and butternut squash soup.

a bowl of tomato soup garnished with a swirl of heavy cream, black pepper and basil leaves. There are grilled cheese sandwiches in the top left corner

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.

Tomato Soup Recipe FAQs

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?

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!

Best Tomato Soup Recipe

Tomato Soup: Ingredients and Substitutions