Easy Tomato Soup
This soup is simple, cozy, and full of flavor. It’s made with pantry staples like canned San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and basil, then finished with a touch of cream. Perfect for weeknights and especially good with grilled cheese.
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 28 ounces San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes 1 can
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 4 leaves Fresh Basil plus additional for serving
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream adjust to taste
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Season lightly with salt.
- Simmer soup: Add tomatoes, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and basil. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Blend and finish: Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in heavy cream, adjust seasoning as needed, and serve hot with additional basil.
Notes
- Tomatoes: Canned San Marzano tomatoes give the smoothest texture and best flavor, but any good quality canned whole peeled tomatoes will work. If using crushed tomatoes, reduce blending time.
- Broth substitution: Chicken broth adds depth, but vegetable broth can be used 1:1 to keep this soup vegetarian without sacrificing flavor.
- Spice level: Red pepper flakes are optional and easy to adjust. Start with ½ teaspoon for gentle heat or leave them out entirely for a classic tomato soup.
- Heavy cream: This soup is lightly creamy as written, but you can increase the heavy cream to ⅓–½ cup for a richer, more bisque-like texture and flavor.
- Blending: An immersion blender is the easiest option, but you can carefully transfer the soup to a high-speed blender. Blend in batches if needed and allow steam to escape.
- Make ahead & storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Serving suggestion: This soup pairs perfectly with grilled cheese, especially my Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg
