This creamy tomato basil soup is made with some simple ingredients, is easy to prepare and tastes incredibly delicious! It has a rich tomato flavour along with hints of basil. Canned tomato soup is such a classic and just perfect for a comforting lunch or dinner.
Wondering what to have for lunch? I know I always am, along with breakfast, dinner and snacks in between. What can I say? I love food!
Seriously, though, you could satisfy that little hunger bug by whipping up a batch of this creamy tomato soup in very little time with some super simple ingredients. And, let’s be honest here, is there anything better than a comforting bowl of homemade tomato soup on a cold day? Not for me, there isn’t!
The base of this homemade tomato soup is canned tomatoes. Sometimes canned or frozen products can get a bad rap. But if you buy a quality brand, it’s all good if you ask me!
Since tomato is the predominant flavour here, you don’t want to cheap out and buy just any type of canned tomatoes. Go for a good quality brand (and the whole variety), then blend them up yourself.
Years ago, my younger brother and I lived together while going to university. Of course, being students, we were mindful of our budget when we went grocery shopping.
I remember him being so excited when he spotted cans of concentrated tomato soup on sale for, like, $0.29 per can. He started loading up the cart like there was no tomorrow. I’m sure he picked up a couple dozen cans. Yeah, that much.
I still tease him to this day whenever I see tomato soup on sale in a flyer. I’ll usually take a picture and text it to him, just for a laugh. It’s one of those memories that sticks with me and makes me chuckle when I think about it.
So, this creamy tomato basil soup may not be quite as inexpensive as that concentrated tomato soup variety, but it tastes so much better.
Canned Tomato Soup Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Canned tomatoes
- Broth
- Sugar
- Dried and fresh basil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Whipping cream (35% milk fat)
How To Make It
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook onion until softened.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in tomatoes, broth, sugar, dried basil, fresh basil, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, then cook to allow the flavours to come together.
- Stir in whipping cream.
- Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and carefully blend the soup.
- Return the blended soup to the pot and serve!
Tomato Soup Garnish Ideas
Of course, this canned tomato soup recipe is totally delicious on its own, but if you want to gild the lily here, go for it!
Some garnish ideas are:
- Olive oil
- Fresh basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or goat cheese or crumbled feta for something a little different)
- Drizzle of balsamic reduction
- Drizzle of cream
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Croutons
What To Serve With Tomato Soup
- A sandwich, like a grilled cheese sandwich (my favourite!), BLT sandwich, or veggie sandwich
- Green salad
- Mozzarella sticks
- Quesadillas
- Flatbread pizza
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Celery Root Soup
- Homemade Chicken Soup With Spinach
- Easy Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Or check out these 20 soup and sandwich recipes
If you make this canned tomato soup, be sure to leave a comment below!
This recipe for creamy tomato basil soup was originally published November 22, 2018 but has been updated.
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Using Canned Tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2.5 teaspoons dried basil
- 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ to ¾ cup whipping cream (35% milk fat) or heavy cream, depending on how creamy you want things
Garnish Ideas (optional)
- Fresh basil
- Olive oil
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction
- Croutons
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, vegetable broth, sugar, dried basil, fresh basil, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Stir. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat (to about medium-low) to maintain a simmer. Cover with lid slightly ajar and cook for 10 minutes.Note: If you don't have fresh basil, add in another ½ teaspoon of dried basil instead.
- Stir in whipping cream (or heavy cream).
- Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and carefully blend the soup until it's smooth and creamy. Return the blended soup to the pot.Note: Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
- To serve, divide the soup into bowls and garnish to taste (if desired) with any of the garnish ideas. Enjoy! Yields 4 larger bowls or 6 to 8 side servings.Note: Canned tomatoes can vary greatly from brand to brand. If you need to add a little more sugar (to balance the acidity of the tomatoes) or salt to taste, go for it!
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Rhonda G. says
I needed a lunch idea repurposing what I already had in the fridge and this was super easy and quick. I halved the recipe and it worked out just fine. I like a little kick to my soup so I added a little more crushed red pepper. I also garnished with homemade ciabatta bread croutons, fresh basis and shaved parmesan. It was absolutely delicious!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so much, Rhonda! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Adrey says
Easy and delicious! Restaurant quality! Thank you.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so very much! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Pam says
This soup gets 5 stars for ease of preparation and also flavor. I made the recipe exactly as is. I know dairy can be tricky, but can this soup be frozen?
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Pam! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! If you want to freeze this soup, you can try making it without the cream, then adding it after when you go to reheat it. To freeze this soup, allow it to cool, then freeze in resealable freezer bags or freezer containers for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Then, stir in the cream. Tip: If you portion out the soup to freeze (and end up with four separate containers, for example), then adjust the cream added as necessary when reheating. I hope that helps! 🙂
Honey says
I love this soup. However, I am always watching my fat and calories. 3/4 cup of heavy cream is 800 calories. If you don’t worry about that I would definitely use it. But I sub a fat free Greek yogurt. ( I like Fage total zero). I also use monk fruit to sweeten it instead of sugar. That makes it zero ww points and very few calories. It also makes it lighter. Thank so much for this recipe. It’s great!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
I’m so happy you love the recipe, thank you! And thanks so much for the substitution ideas. 🙂
Denise says
I have made this several times and it is delicious!! Excellent recipe!!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Denise!! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!!