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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Carla says
This recipe was so easy to make and sooo good. I’ve been looking for a tomato soup I can whip up in a pinch, and this is it. My whole family loved the creaminess of the soup, and asked for a 2nd batch to be made. I used dry basil and left out the pesto, and it still had very fresh flavor without having to go through the trouble of roasting tomatoes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Carla! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Breanne says
This is officially a staple in my home! I’ve been trying to find Campbell’s replacements and this is similar in flavor but considerably better and also healthier! Highly recommend!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Breanne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Nikki says
This was the first time I tried this recipe and I gotta say, I’m disappointed. It was very bland and had a strange aftertaste. It’s entirely possible that I made a error but I don’t think I will use this recipe again.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe Nikki. The amounts and ingredients have worked well for myself (and others) have enjoyed it, so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
Ashley says
THE BEST and easiest tomato soup! I was very Impressed with how good this was especially for how simple it was to make!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ashley! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!