5 from 48 votes

Tomato Soup Recipe

Name: Tomato Soup Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 cups sweet or yellow onion (diced (about 2 medium-sized onions) ); 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves ); 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (I like to use Cento or other brands of San Marzano when I can find them ); 2 cups chicken broth ((may substitute vegetable broth)); ¼ cup finely sliced basil; 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon table salt (plus more as needed); ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ⅓ cup heavy cream; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; Shredded or grated parmesan cheese (for topping)

By Sam MerrittUpdated Sep 18, 2026

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Servings: 8 servings, approximately 1 cup per serving

45 mins

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This tomato soup recipe is carefully crafted to be velvety smooth, deeply tomato-flavored, and lightly creamy without being heavy. It’s made with canned tomatoes so it tastes just as good in January as it does in August, and a tiny pinch of baking soda mellows the tomatoes’ acidity. It’s ready in under an hour and is perfect served with a warm grilled cheese.

My creamy tomato soup recipe topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil in white bowl with spoon.

The Coziest, Most Perfect Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe

I developed this tomato soup recipe after being annoyed that so many versions fell into one of two camps: either sharply acidic or so sweet and creamy that the actual tomato flavor fell far into the background. This one lands neatly in the middle, with true tomato flavor and a perfectly creamy, velvety, balanced finish. It joins the ranks of some of my favorite soup recipes, and is a simple, classic family favorite.

What to know about this recipe:

Balanced flavor, not harsh or acidic! The secret? Baking soda (yes, really). Just a pinch neutralizes the acidic taste of the tomatoes, plus a small amount of sugar and cream rounds out the flavor (without bullying the tomatoes into submission!).
Creamy without being cloying. Just 1/3 cup of cream makes the whole pot silky without making it too heavy. It’s a perfectly creamy tomato soup recipe.
Reliable, any time of year. Whole canned tomatoes (San Marzano are my preference, if you can find them!) will give you more consistent flavor and texture than out-of-season fresh tomatoes.
Quick & easy. One pot and 45 minutes of your time. That’s it.
A 5-star winner. Since I first shared this recipe (over six years ago!), it’s received quite a few 5-star reviews. Readers have called this one “awesome”, “a regular family request”, “simply incredible” and “genius”. Yes, I’m blushing, and I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Let’s dive in!

What You Need

Two things to know:

Every ingredient in this tomato soup recipe was meticulously chosen to create a balanced symphony of flavor in every spoonful. Sounds dramatic, yes, but once you taste it you’ll see what I’m talking about.
They’re all actually very simple, basic ingredients and you probably already have most of them hiding in your pantry! Let’s talk about them…

Overhead of the (labeled) ingredients for my tomato soup recipe on marble.

Butter. This serves to build the flavorful base of the soup and softens the onion and garlic, and contributes to the silky mouthfeel. Truly, salted or unsalted will work fine here. You’ll likely need to taste-test the soup and add more salt as needed (due to the varying saltiness of broth brands… more on that below).
Onion & garlic. For depth of flavor and some natural sweetness, we’ll start this soup out with some sautéed onion and garlic.
Flour. A small amount of flour makes for a simple roux base and contributes to the velvety smooth texture and consistency. For gluten-free, I would recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Chicken broth. Regular or low-sodium broth will work, but know that saltiness varies significantly between brands. Because of this, I call for slightly less salt than I think you’ll ultimately need (to avoid over-salting, much harder to fix than under-salting) and you will need to taste-test and adjust accordingly. You can also substitute homemade chicken stock or substitute a good quality vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian.
Tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are key for consistent flavor, no matter the time of year. Whole peeled tomatoes are generally made with higher-quality tomatoes and undergo less processing than crushed tomatoes, giving you a better flavor and making them my preference. Crushed tomatoes can work if it’s all you have, but opt for whole peeled if you have the choice.
Basil. There’s no way around it, fresh basil is best. Slice it into thin ribbons or shred it before blending into the soup. In a pinch, you could substitute a Tablespoon of dried basil.
Sugar. Adding sugar doesn’t make the soup sweet; instead, it rounds out the naturally harsher flavors of the tomato. I use this trick in many tomato-based recipes, including my baked ziti!
Cream. Just a splash makes this soup velvety smooth without being too creamy or heavy. Substituting milk could make your soup curdle, so stick with cream for this one.
Baking soda. More expected in a chocolate chip cookie recipe than soup, this baking staple is the secret to a tomato soup recipe that is balanced in flavor, and not acidic. While the sugar in the recipe helps balance the perception of acidity, the baking soda actually neutralizes some of the acid in the tomatoes. A little bit goes a long way (don’t add more than called for!). I picked up this technique from Cooks Illustrated (sorry, no direct link since it’s behind a paywall!) and I’ve never looked back.

Sam’s Note

Some tomato soup recipes call for carrots, which can help sweeten the soup and help to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes. Personally, I don’t care for this method or the flavor the carrots add to the soup (I left them out of my butternut squash soup for the same reason), and instead I opt for a combination of onions, a pinch of sugar, and baking soda instead.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Tomato Soup

Stirring flour into cooked, diced yellow onions in a large blue pot.

Wooden spoon breaking up whole peeled tomatoes in pot to make tomato soup.

Cook the aromatics and flour. Cook the onions in butter (adds a lot of flavor!), then, once they’re softened, cook the garlic until it’s nice and fragrant (just about a minute). Next, add the flour and stir until it’s cooked into the onions. This helps build a slightly thicker base and helps give the soup its velvety texture.

Crush the tomatoes (use your hands before adding them or just crush in the pot with your spoon) and stir them (and all their juices!) into the soup. Add the rest of the spices/seasonings and bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer so the flavor has time to develop.

Overhead of tomato soup in a blue pot being pureed with a stick immersion blender.

Stirring cream into tomato soup, the color lightens from deep red to orange.

Puree the soup until smooth. You can do this with an immersion blender (my preference, that’s an affiliate link for mine) since it lets me blend the soup right in the pot.

Add the cream and baking soda. The tomato soup will foam a bit and will lighten to a paler, gorgeous orange color. After stirring in the cream and baking soda, taste-test! If the soup tastes bland or flat at all, a bit more salt will do the trick. The exact amount of salt you’ll need will vary depending on the broth you use, so it’s very possible you’ll need more than listed.

SAM’S TIP: If you don’t have an immersion blender, just puree the soup in batches using a traditional blender and then return it to the pot to finish. Make sure you don’t fill the blender more than halfway and that you do vent the lid slightly so steam can escape!

bowl of tomato soup in foreground with plate of grilled cheese sandwiches in background

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh tomatoes?

Some recipes should always be made with fresh tomatoes (like bruschetta or salsa), while others (like homemade pizza sauce or marinara sauce) do better with canned tomatoes. I prefer using canned tomatoes for this specific recipe, and here’s why:

Canned tomatoes are more uniform in flavor and will give you more consistent results. Fresh tomatoes can create a watery soup, even if they taste delicious straight off the vine, and truly excellent tomatoes are usually only available a few months out of the year. Your results and flavor can vary significantly with fresh tomatoes.

For the most consistent flavor, texture, and ease, I recommend canned tomatoes for this particular recipe. If you happen to have an abundance of ripe summer tomatoes you’d like to use, try my tomato basil soup recipe instead, which was specifically developed to make the most of fresh tomatoes.

What is the secret to good tomato soup?

I’ve found that the secret to a really good tomato soup is balancing the natural acidity from the tomatoes without burying them under too much cream or sugar (no matter how much I love those two ingredients elsewhere). While a bit of sugar and a splash of cream do help soften the way the acidity tastes, a pinch of baking soda actually neutralizes some of the acid. Sugar, cream, and baking soda, all carefully balanced against whole peeled tomatoes, are key to a really good tomato soup.

Why is my tomato soup sour, acidic, or metallic?

If your soup tastes overly acidic, first check that you used the full amounts of sugar, cream, baking soda, and enough salt. Different brands of tomatoes and broth vary in flavor, and an under-seasoned soup might taste harsher than one that’s properly salted. I recommend taste-testing and not being afraid to add more salt.

If the soup tastes metallic rather than acidic, your pot may be the culprit. Always use a non-reactive pot when cooking tomatoes. This means opt for stainless steel or enameled cast iron, and avoid aluminum, copper, or bare cast iron. The latter can react with the tomatoes and cause a metallic flavor in the finished soup.

half of a grilled cheese sandwich being dipped into a bowl of tomato soup

For a complete meal: Serve with a side salad and grilled cheese or a crusty bread (artisan bread or my sourdough loaf are great homemade options).
Top it off with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan, fresh herbs, a dollop of sour cream, cheese crackers or sourdough crackers, homemade croutons, or even crumbled bacon.
Just add bread! Serve in a homemade bread bowl or with a side of breadsticks or garlic knots for dipping.

Enjoy!

Psst… did you know I wrote a cookbook!? Available for preorder now!

This post was originally published in September of 2021. It has since been updated to include more tips and helpful information, the recipe itself remains unchanged!