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.

Bowl of creamy tomato basil soup garnished with cheese, red pepper flakes and basil.

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!

Collage of steps to make canned tomato soup.

Pot of homemade tomato soup with a ladle resting in the soup.

Two bowls of creamy tomato basil soup garnished with cheese and basil.

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

Hand holding a bowl of creamy tomato basil soup garnished with cheese, red pepper flakes and basil.

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

Hand holding a spoon, scooping up some creamy tomato basil soup from a bowl.

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)

Dawn | Girl Heart Food

4.86 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Course Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Servings 4 servings

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.

Keyword canned tomato soup, creamy tomato soup, easy tomato soup recipe, quick tomato soup, tinned tomato soup

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