This Creamy Tomato Soup is made in 20 minutes with canned tomatoes, but no one would ever know! It’s flavored with basil, garlic and Parmesan and perfect for dunking your grilled cheese!
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There is just not a better comfort food combo than creamy tomato soup and a crispy, melty grilled cheese sandwich.
This Creamy Tomato Soup has been on repeat here, because it’s easy and quick enough to whip up for any meal, even with the kids running circles around you!
It’s so quick, and so delicious, that you’ll never have to settle for the can again!
What I love about this tomato soup recipe is that it can be made with canned tomatoes for the majority of the year when we don’t have fresh garden tomatoes. Made with canned tomatoes, it’s an easy and inexpensive meal that tastes just as amazing year round.
(P.S. This Tomato Tortellini Soup is another one using canned tomatoes!)
But if you’ve got a bucket of fresh tomatoes from the garden?
Even better! Throw those in for a quick summer meal.
I confess, I’m one of those people who enjoys soup year round, and some of our other favorites (if you’re one of those people, too!) are this Sausage Tortellini Soup, Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and this Crockpot Potato Soup.
Give me some crusty bread or a great dinner bun and I’ll enjoy soup for every meal of every day!
How to make easy Creamy Tomato Soup:
- We make our roux first, instead of at the end and this saves us a pot making this a ONE pot soup (yay!). First we melt the butter, add the garlic to make it fragrant, then stir in some flour. This will thicken our soup and make it incredibly creamy.
- Stir in the rest of our seasonings, then whisk in the milk until smooth. Let this simmer until thickened, whisking often so it doesn’t clump!
- Stir in all of that tomato goodness, and give it a good stir to incorporate.
- Puree with an immersion blender, in a blender meant for hot foods (not all are, so be careful!), or in a food processor. This is optional, but really makes it smooth and creamy so I recommend it!
Variations on this Creamy Tomato Soup:
- Feel free to adjust the spices and herbs to your tastes or what you have on hand — add some heat if you like, or experiment a little!
- If you don’t have fresh milk, you can easily substitute for evaporated milk or cream. If you need to make this recipe dairy free, you can substitute for non dairy milk though it will change the flavor, or you can use chicken or vegetable broth as well. It will still be creamy and delicious!
- Feel free to add in other veggies, before or after pureeing! Some cooked carrots puree really easily in tomato soup and go mostly unnoticed.
- Some pasta, rice or other cooked grains can make this soup a little heartier (though you know I’m serving mine with grilled cheese so I opt for plain and simple 😉 )
- If you need to make this recipe gluten free, you can skip the roux and opt to thicken the milk with a couple tablespoons of corn starch before adding the tomatoes.
Got leftover Tomato Soup?
Pasta: This creamy Tomato Soup also makes a great pasta sauce! You can make a double batch, and save some for serving over pasta for an easy dinner another night.
Pizza: This Tomato Soup is thick and creamy enough to be used as a pizza sauce as well!
Reinvent it: serve leftovers with cooked pasta and vegetables for a new twist on tomato soup — bonus points if what you add to the soup is also leftover from another meal!
*This post has been updated since its original posting in April 2014.
20 Minute Creamy Tomato Soup from Scratch
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tbsp fresh basil (or 1/2-1 teaspoon dried)
- 1-2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp basil pesto optional and to taste
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 798 ml can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (28 oz) or sub crushed or fresh, chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste (about half 156ml can)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add flour and whisk to combine.
- Add basil, sugar, salt and pesto. Cook and stir 1 minute.
- Add milk and whisk until combined. Cook and whisk on medium heat until thickened, stirring often.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and Parmesan if using, and stir until combined.
- Puree with an immersion blender if desired and serve.
Nutrition Information
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Carina says
Hi! I made this recipe and we loved it! So easy, creamy, and delicious! I’m wondering if you can freeze leftover soup? Any input would be greatly appreciated!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Carina! Yes, you can freeze it!
Mary says
I was craving canned tomato soup but only had fire roasted diced tomatoes on hand. I may never buy canned tomato soup again because your recipe was so delicious and so easy!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Mary! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Ernestine says
So easy and so scrumptious! Substituted the salt with tomato bullion and half and half for milk. Served alongside grilled bacon and cheese sandwiches.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ernestine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Brittany says
Can I blend the crushed tomatoes first!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Brittany, I guess you could but you will be blending the recipe at the end when it’s cooked. Hope you enjoy it!
Allysen says
This recipe is so delicious! I wanted to make some tomato soup and just wanted something quick, but we didn’t have any canned soup. I decided to search Google for soup recipes with tomato paste or sauce, and this one came up! I am so glad it did! Nice and simple, I had all the ingredients, and it turned out delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Allysen says
Wanted to add that I used diced tomatoes and didn’t blend, and the chunkiness was so good!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Allysen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Ciara Duffy says
Best tomato soup, my husband and I, have ever had! Definitely will make this from now on. Thank you for this recipe.
Robin Kelman says
Super easy and delicious. Made some substitutes for taste preferences and what I had on hand. Can of fire roasted and no salt added tomatoes. Use dried Italian herb and basil, skipped pesto, added a touch of nutmeg and splash of brandy. Hubs thought best creamy tomato ever and I did too. Thanks
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Robin! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Lauri says
Really great recipe! Will be my go to tomato soup recipe. I love that it is creamy without using cream
Anne says
I tried making this recipe, so easy and delicious! Thank you!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Anne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Deb says
Oh my goodness! This soup came out really thick and really delicious! Dunk your grilled cheese in it…. heaven!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Deb! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Amanda says
I’ve made this soup so many times now because it’s so easy and tasty. I did make some minor changes to accommodate my family. I used 2 tbsp of potato starch to make it gluten free. I used olive oil and oat milk and omitted the parm to make it dairy free. I used the whole can of tomato paste because I never remember to use the rest of it. I also added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end to add a little more oomph. My kids are so disappointed by canned soup now because I usually make this fantastic recipe instead. Thank you for this wonderful and easy soup recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Janie says
My whole family LOVES this soup, including my super picky kids who don’t like tomatoes. It’s easy and delicious! The pesto is a must!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Janie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Sarah says
This soup is so good!! My husband said it’s the best tomato basil soup he’s ever had
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your review!
Carol says
I have made this recipe quite a few times and we love it. I use my garden tomatoes that we freeze at the end of the season. So much flavor and love how easy it is to make.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Carol! It’s a favorite here too!
Hoot says
Hey, I was just wondering why my soup split?? Is it because of my milk or…
Ashley Fehr says
It is hard for me to say without knowing how the recipe was made. I’ve never had that happen before! Thickening milk with a roux and adding tomatoes shouldn’t cause it to split.
Shannon says
Wow! I’ve been planning to make this for a few weeks and finally had the opportunity today for lunch. AMAZING! I added a couple of extra tablespoons tomato paste and a sprinkle of white pepper. I used home grown, home canned tomatoes my mom gave me and my husband and I both loved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipes you share.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Shannon! I’m glad you liked it!
Karen says
Incredible. I can’t stop thinking about it. I made some orzo separately which I ladle in my soup bowl first, then I pour this divine soup on top. I did half whipping cream (leftover from another recipe) and half fat free milk and added a teaspoon of Italian herbs. I will make this over and over. I make a lot of soups and this is now my #1. Thankyou.
Ashley Fehr says
I love the idea of adding orzo!
Inci says
Amazing!
I made gluten free- vegan version of this soup.
I used rice flour- tapioca flour instead. And also used oat milk.
We loved it.
Inci says
Almost forgot. I also added onion😊
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Amy A. says
Wonderful soup! I don’t have a way to puree it so I didn’t; the extra lumps made it seem especially hardy. I also bought fresh basil and then didn’t make the soup until about a week later, not knowing how fast basil spoils, so I used dry which may have changed the flavor a little, but it was still delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amy! I’m glad you liked it!
Stefanie says
Delicious!!!
Was easy to make, my picky 7 yr old loved it! I made without garlic (I am deathly allergic) and pesto. Twas great!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Stefanie!