This homemade tomato soup recipe can be made with either roasted fresh tomatoes or canned tomato paste. It has just 5 simple ingredients and has a subtly sweet and creamy flavor.
It comes together in under an hour, but tastes like it simmered all day. I won't tell if you don't! And most of that time is hands-off, by the way. The oven does most of the work for us!
Jump to:
- Why this recipe works
- What are the best kind of tomatoes for making a good tomato soup?
- Tomato conversion chart for this recipe
- How many tomatoes to use for this soup
- Ingredients for creamy tomato soup
- Instructions
- Recipe
- Variation:
- TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
- VARIATIONS
- STORAGE
- How to make creamy tomato soup with canned tomatoes
- How to Make Sourdough Croutons
- Helpful Equipment
- Tips and Troubleshooting
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Storage
- FAQ
- Ideas for a cozy soup supper
- More from the garden:
- Comments
Why this recipe works
Homemade tomato soup, sometimes called tomato bisque, with roasted fresh tomatoes is a classic soup recipe made with fresh ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs blended with a generous amount of cream. It feels ultra fancy and restaurant quality, but seriously anyone can make it. The steps are super easy!
The homegrown tomatoes are roasted with garlic cloves and yellow onion to bring out their natural flavor and then blended to a creamy finish. The result is a velvety rich creamy texture that is packed with flavor. Not to mention, it's so easy to make and is the perfect comfort food!!
Sometimes I make this with soup during tomato season, but more often than not I find myself craving it during the colder months when my garden is under snow.
When I am making homemade soup out of season, I have to get creative with a mix of fresh ingredients, frozen or even canned tomato paste. I've included a helpful conversion chart below!
What are the best kind of tomatoes for making a good tomato soup?
The most highly recommended tomatoes for making soup are Roma and San Marzano tomatoes. Both of these tomatoes are considered to be plum tomatoes, meaning they are both filled with lots of meaty flesh and have minimal, small seeds.
You can also use beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes. All of the tomato options listed above have rich tomato flavor and will result in a thick and creamy consistency. Truly, though, this is the best tomato soup recipe and you really can't go wrong!
I wrote a Guide to Growing Tomatoes if you are hoping to start a garden next spring! It will walk you through everything from how to get your soil amended all the way through harvesting. Also, if you have cherry tomatoes coming out of your ears, you really will love my Greek Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad and Easy Crostinis.
Tomato conversion chart for this recipe
I wrote this conversion chart to help you determine the amount of tomatoes you'll need to make this soup. It is approximate, as we both know all tomatoes are created differently.
And take this for what it's worth, I've tried all of these conversions and I personally prefer a mix of oven roasted roma-style and cherry tomatoes. Both my husband and my mom love this tomato soup best when it's made with canned tomato paste because of the added sweetness.
How many tomatoes to use for this soup
Mix and match from this chart! Follow it as loosely as you want, just try to get about 3 pounds of fresh tomatoes for the texture to come out right.
- 6 large whole tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 9 medium tomatoes
- 12 Roma tomatoes
- 60 cherry tomatoes
- or 12 ounces of tomato paste (2 small cans)
- 32 ounces canned tomatoes, like fire-roasted tomatoes or plain diced
Ingredients for creamy tomato soup
- Fresh garden tomatoes (or see conversion chart above)
- Water
- Heavy cream
- Fresh garlic cloves (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- Sugar, to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional extras: fresh basil leaves, fresh oregano, grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or olive oil. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half for small sized tomatoes, cut larger tomatoes into quarters or even eighths.
2. Place the tomatoes and peeled whole garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast until parts look slightly charred, about 25 minutes. I always rotate the pan and give it a stir after the first 15 minutes.
3. Pour the roasted tomatoes and garlic (plus the juices!) into a Dutch oven. Add the water, cream, and sugar. Uses an immersion blender to puree until smooth and creamy. If you like a chunkier soup, leave some of the pieces a little bigger. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let it simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Serve with parmesan cheese, croutons or a drizzle of heavy cream. I also like to garnish it with chopped fresh basil when I have it. You'll get bonus points if you add a grilled cheese sandwich!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
Recipe
Homemade Tomato Soup (Roasted Fresh Tomatoes or Canned)
Equipment
- dutch oven
- baking sheet
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 pounds tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons sugar or up to 6 tablespoons, to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or olive oil. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half for small sized tomatoes, cut larger tomatoes into quarters or even eighths.
- Place the tomatoes and peeled whole garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast until parts look slightly charred, about 25 minutes. I always rotate the pan and give it a stir after the first 15 minutes.
- Pour the roasted tomatoes and garlic (plus the juices!) into a Dutch oven. Add the water, cream, and sugar. Uses an immersion blender to puree until smooth and creamy. If you like a chunkier soup, leave some of the pieces a little bigger. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let it simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Serve with parmesan cheese, croutons or a drizzle of heavy cream. I also like to garnish it with chopped fresh basil when I have it. You'll get bonus points if you add a grilled cheese sandwich!
Notes
Variation:
CREAMY TOMATO BISQUE WITH TOMATO PASTE
- In a Dutch oven (mine is a 5 quart), sauté a chopped onion in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
- Add the 2 small cans tomato paste, water, cream, and sugar. Uses an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let it simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
- If your tomato soup is too acidic you can simply add more cream or even use the full amount of sugar to help reduce the acidic flavor. You can also add carrots to the soup to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes.
- It is very important to use ripe tomatoes when making this soup. If you can not buy ripe tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes since they are usually picked and canned during their prime ripe days. Tomato paste is actually a favorite substitution at our house.
- If your tomato soup is too thin for your liking, you can add some tomato paste, powdered dehydrated tomato skins, or let it boil down over low to medium heat for an extra fifteen minutes.
VARIATIONS
If you want to customize this recipe, I have a few ideas for you to try! I generally make this recipe as written, either with fresh tomatoes or tomato paste, and add sourdough croutons and fresh chopped basil.- Tomato Basil Soup Recipe: add ½ cup of fresh basil at the end of cooking
- Tomato Tarragon: Add 1 teaspoon dried tarragon at the beginning of cooking
- Tomato Florentine: Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning at the beginning of cooking, then add 2 cups of fresh chopped spinach at the end of cooking.
- Tomato & Pasta: Add 1 pound of cooked ditalini or alphabet pasta to make homemade creamy tomato spaghetti-os.
- Spicy Tomato Soup: Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes when mixing in all the ingredients.
STORAGE
- Creamy soups are best if eaten within 3 days, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat the soup, place it into a small pan on the stove and warm until desired temperature is reached.
- It is possible to freeze leftovers in single servings, but I have found that the cream tends to separate and it isn't as appealing. If you do freeze it, eat it within 3 months for best flavor and don't freeze the fresh herbs with the soup.
Nutrition
How to make creamy tomato soup with canned tomatoes
If you are fresh out of tomatoes, don't worry! My husband LOVES it when I make this easy tomato bisque with canned tomato puree. It has a sweeter taste and still feels really hearty. See the pictures and recipe below!
Here's how I make creamy tomato bisque with tomato paste:
- In a Dutch oven (mine is a 5 quart), sauté a chopped onion in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
- Add the tomato paste, water, cream, and sugar. Uses an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let it simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- OPTIONAL: Serve with parmesan cheese, croutons, fresh basil or a drizzle of heavy cream. Today we made it with sourdough grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.
How to Make Sourdough Croutons
I am really obsessed with making croutons for soup. This is a really easy recipe and perfect for using up slightly old bread! If you don't have sourdough, you can use grocery store sandwich bread.
- 2 cups bread, diced into ¼ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- Toss the bread cubes with butter, salt, pepper, and garlic. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and toss with hands a few times to make sure the bread is well coated. Place the pan on the middle oven rack and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, checking at the 15 minute and tossing/stirring the croutons.
- Remove from oven and let cool. I recommend hiding them until the soup or salad is ready, because these will sneak away fast!
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Helpful Equipment
To make this delicious soup, you will need a Dutch oven, baking sheet, and immersion blender. If you do not have a Dutch oven you can use a large soup pot.
It is recommended that the Dutch oven be enamel coated if possible, otherwise it may change the taste of the soup. This will result from the reaction between the soup’s acidity and the material of the pan.
The baking sheet that I use has small sides to it. It will be wise to use one with some sort of side, so that it catches the juices that are released from the tomatoes during the roasting process.
If you do not have an immersion blender you can use a food processor as well. I've had good luck transferring it to my Vitamix blender. If you do this, be careful and hold the lid down really well. Sometimes hot liquids can cause pressure to build up and it could splash all over your kitchen! (don't ask me how I know)
Tips and Troubleshooting
- If your tomato soup is too acidic you can simply add more cream or even use the full amount of sugar to help reduce the acidic flavor. You can also add carrots to the soup to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes.
- It is very important to use ripe tomatoes when making this soup. If you can not buy ripe tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes since they are usually picked and canned during their prime ripe days. Tomato paste is actually a favorite substitution at our house.
- If your tomato soup is too thin for your liking, you can add some tomato paste, powdered dehydrated tomato skins, or let it boil down over low to medium heat for an extra fifteen minutes.
Substitutions
- Vegan - instead of heavy cream, use vegetable stock. It will have a thinner texture, but still be really good!
- Lighter - use chicken broth or chicken stock to replace a portion of the heavy whipping cream.
- Heartier - Add a cup of fresh finely grated parmesan and a package of cooked tortellini to the soup.
Variations
If you want to customize this recipe, I have a few ideas for you to try! I generally make this recipe as written, either with fresh tomatoes or tomato paste, and add sourdough croutons and fresh chopped basil.
- Tomato Basil Soup Recipe: add ½ cup of fresh basil at the end of cooking
- Tomato Tarragon: Add 1 teaspoon dried tarragon at the beginning of cooking
- Tomato Florentine: Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning at the beginning of cooking, then add 2 cups of fresh chopped spinach at the end of cooking.
- Tomato & Pasta: Add 1 pound of cooked ditalini or alphabet pasta to make homemade creamy tomato spaghetti-os.
- Spicy Tomato Soup: Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes when mixing in all the ingredients.
Storage
- Creamy soups are best if eaten within 3 days, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat the soup, place it into a small pan on the stove and warm until desired temperature is reached.
- It is possible to freeze leftovers in single servings, but I have found that the cream tends to separate and it isn't as appealing. If you do freeze it, eat it within 3 months for best flavor and don't freeze the fresh herbs with the soup.
FAQ
You can experiment with the use of herbs and spices in your soup. This will change the flavor and may make it more appetizing to you.
Tomato soup pairs very well with a grilled cheese sandwiches or crackers. You can also enjoy tomato soup with noodles, by cooking up some small pasta noodles and adding it to the soup.
Tomato puree is a blended form of tomatoes offering a milder taste resembling fresh tomatoes, while tomato paste is concentrated tomatoes with a sweeter and richer flavor because it has been cooked longer. Both will make a delicious tomato bisque.
The definitions for both are very loose and vary depending on the region where you live. Generally speaking, tomato soup is usually made with chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth, even though it might still have some heavy whipping cream. A tomato bisque recipe has a greater use of heavy cream and is often what you will get at a restaurant if you order a classic tomato soup recipe or tomato bisque soup recipe. It's definitely more of a common term.
Ideas for a cozy soup supper
These are my favorite dishes to bring to a soup supper:
Every time I make Creamy Broccoli and White Cheddar soup, I always get asked for the recipe. It is just as creamy and comforting as the original recipe, but the white cheddar really adds extra oomf.
If you are a big game hunter, you might have some ground deer meat or venison in your freezer. Just as soon as the weather turns cold, I make a big pot of Italian Wedding Soup with Venison Meatballs. It has enough garden veggies to keep the flavor really exciting, but still feels low maintenance and easy.
And of course, I love having a slice of crusty bread to dip in my soup. Try making a batch of Sourdough Baguettes, Artisan Loaf, or even some Cheesy Sourdough Crackers.
If you make this homemade tomato soup (fresh tomatoes) recipe, leave me a comment and tell me how you liked it! It's early October as I'm writing this, and I'll just be over here dreaming of fall! Be sure to pin one of these pictures to your Pinterest so you can easily find this recipe later!
Happy baking!
-Meg
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Emily
Oh boy, This tomato soup was sooo easy to make. So rich and creamy! I love homemade tomato soup and this one is my new favorite!