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This recipe for my Creamy Tomato Soup is made from scratch with fresh ripe tomatoes. It tastes so good and freezes well! You can always have it on hand and will never need to buy canned soup again!

Bowl of creamy tomato soup with large soup spoon and homemade croutons on top.

Canned soups may be convenient, however, they often lack many vital aspects… for example; flavor and proper nutrition.

While tomato soup is widely considered a comfort food staple, I find it more comforting to know what ingredients are fueling my body. 💪

I also find it incredibly satisfying to cook from scratch and to make recipes with fresh, whole ingredients. It can be quite rewarding and brings me lots of joy. 😄

Grilled cheese sandwich cut in half on a plate sitting next to a bowl of creamy tomato basil soup made from fresh tomatoes.

What Ingredients are used to make Homemade Tomato Soup?

It’s important to start with fresh ingredients to achieve the best taste and to ensure the most nutrition is received from your ingredients.

Olive Oil – used to saute the onions, carrots, and garlic.

Onion🧅 – used for flavor. Saute with the carrots. Should be cooked to translucent before adding the garlic to keep the garlic from burning.

Carrots🥕 – adds sweetness and unique flavor. Also improves the texture of the soup.

Garlic🧄 – used for flavor.

Fresh Ripe Tomatoes🍅 – what is tomato soup without tomatoes?

Sugar – balances the acidity of the tomatoes.

Tomato Paste🍅 – helps to add a more intense tomato flavor.

Fresh Basil – used for flavor.

Chicken Broth🐔 – more flavorful than plain water. Substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian-friendly recipe.

Black Pepper – for flavor.

Heavy Cream – adds a rich and creamy flavor to otherwise boring tomato soup.

How to make Tomato Basil Soup from Fresh Tomatoes:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. I like to use my Dutch oven for this recipe, but any large heavy bottomed pot will work just fine.

Saute the chopped onion and carrots until veggies are tender. Onions should be translucent. Then, add the garlic and cook until fragrant (just 1-2 minutes).

Dutch oven pot with olive oil and raw chopped onions and carrots.

Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, fresh basil, chicken broth, and black pepper.

Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or pour the mixture into a high-powered blender to puree until smooth. *Use caution as soup may be hot, or cool slightly before blending to prevent burns*

Return soup to the original pot (if transferring to a blender) and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Rewarm soup over low heat if needed. Enjoy!

This soup freezes well. Make extra and freeze the leftovers.

Why I don’t strain my tomato soup:

If you didn’t already notice, I haven’t included any steps in the instructions on straining the soup after pureeing. This is because I just don’t do it. 🤷‍♀️

I find it unnecessary and also time-consuming to strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer. In my opinion, the tomato skin is barely noticeable after pureeing the soup to a super smooth consistency.

Also, leaving in the skin and bits of pulp will keep the added fiber and other nutrients in the soup.

Read about the health benefits of tomatoes here.

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Bowl of tomato soup with croutons and grilled cheese in the background

Print Recipe

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup made from Fresh Tomatoes

Homemade tomato soup made with fresh ripe tomatoes. Blend it into a delicious creamy bowl of comforting soup.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

3 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium Red Onion diced
2 medium Carrots chopped
3 cloves Garlic minced
4 pounds Fresh Tomatoes chopped
1 ½ teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
¼ cup Chopped Fresh Basil
3 cups Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¾ cup Heavy Cream

Instructions

In a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and chopped carrots. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until veggies are tender.
Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, fresh basil, chicken broth, and black pepper.
Stir to mix ingredients well.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes are tender.
Next, ladle the soup into a high powered blender and process until smooth. (You could instead use an immersion blender.)
Pour the soup back into the saucepot and add the heavy cream.
Stir well to combine, and re-warm over low heat. Taste and add salt/pepper to your own preference if desired.

Video

Notes

* Substitute vegetable broth in place of chicken broth to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly.

** This recipe freezes well in an airtight container.

*** If using a smaller sized blender, puree soup in small batches as needed. Be careful and proceed with caution. I recommend allowing the soup to cool slightly before blending.

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Snap a picture and share it on Instagram with the tag #cookwithginger. Don’t forget to leave a message in the comments below and share this recipe with your friends if you enjoyed it!

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