Quick and Easy Tomato Soup Recipe

This quick and easy Tomato Soup Recipe seasoned with basil and thyme is the perfect comfort food. Make a batch early in the week then easily rewarm for a little dose of comfort food every night.

Few things rival comfort food more than a warm bowl of Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s simple food, yet absolutely satisfying. I don’t know who discovered the combination, but, as Yoda might say, genius they were. Genius indeed. This Tomato Soup hits the spot every time.

I remember when I first made this easy Tomato Soup Recipe. Years ago, on a Saturday evening in late fall, we were headed back home from a trip to the mountains. I was fighting a cold and Randy was pooped from a day of mountain biking and working on building a bookshelf. It was cold, and windy … and cold. All we wanted was to be home that evening to rest and recoup. As we drove down the windy (as in curvy) and windy (as in blustery) road we chatted about what we could make for dinner without having to make a stop by the grocery store.

Tomato Soup and grilled cheese was Randy’s request, and I knew that we just happened to have every single thing we needed in our pantry to make it happen. Our fresh basil had just been hit by the recent frost, but we did have a good amount of dried basil on hand, and that, coupled with dried thyme, would work just fine.

As soon as we hit the door I began preparing the soup. It was quick makings. While the soup was left warming on the stove, waiting for our grilled cheese chef (aka Randy) to work his magic on the other very crucial part of the meal, I headed for the yoga pants. Warm Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese + Yoga Pants = The Perfect Saturday Night. And it was.

Since then, we’ve enjoyed this simple Tomato Soup Recipe so many times, accompanied by a grilled cheese, of course. This Tomato Soup Recipe truly is easy fixings and hard to beat on a chilly night. Pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich, and you’ll see what I mean.

Speaking of grilled cheese, if you like mushrooms, for a nice twist on the classic, try a Grilled Cheese with Gouda, Roasted Mushroom and Onions. Oh my … you’ll be happy you did!

As I mentioned, this Tomato Soup Recipe is super simple and fairly quick to make. Be sure to read the full printable recipe at the end of this post and as well as the notes for a perfect pot of soup every time.

Ingredients for this Tomato Soup Recipe

• olive oil
• butter
• sweet onion
• garlic cloves
• all-purpose flour
• dried basil
• dried thyme
• chicken broth
• canned crushed tomatoes
• sugar
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper

How to Make Tomato Soup

1. Begin by heating olive oil and butter over medium-low heat in a large nonreactive stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and cook, for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Next, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned. Add in the flour and stir for another 2 minutes. Be sure to coat the onion and garlic with the flour.
3. Stir in the basil and thyme and continue to cook to toast the herbs for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Finally, add in the broth, crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir to incorporate well. Cover, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for at least 30 minutes.
5. If you prefer a smooth textured soup, proceed to next step. If not, skip the following pureeing step, season to taste and serve warm.
6. For a smooth/pureed soup, allow soup to cool slightly, and use a blender or food processor to carefully purée the soup in small batches of about 3-4 cups at a time. An immersion blender may be used to completely puree the soup directly in the pot. (Be careful if using a blender or food processor. Be sure to vent or crack the lid to avoid steam building up.) Return the pureed soup to the pot.
7. Finish by seasoning the soup to taste with additional salt and pepper as preferred. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped fresh basil, chives, dill, sour cream, and/or your favorite crumbled or grated cheese.

Tomato Soup Recipe notes:

• When cooking Tomato Soup, it’s best prepared in a non-reactive pan. What is a non-reactive pot or pan, you ask? A non-reactive pan is a pan that will not react chemically with certain foods (specifically, acids in tomato for this recipe) creating a metallic taste. When a recipe such as this calls for a non-reactive pan, look for stainless steel, enameled cast iron, glass, or clay. Particularly avoid aluminum or copper. Personally, I like to use enameled cast-iron (note: NOT cast-iron, but enameled cast-iron) or stainless steel pots when making soups and sauces as they conduct heat evenly and there is no concern for metallic taste.
• For this recipe dried herbs are listed but if you have fresh basil or thyme available, they may be substituted in triple the amounts listed in the recipe. That rule works well for any recipe: 3x fresh to dried herb amounts.
• For a smooth Tomato Soup, the soup will need to be pureed, but if that is not a concern, skip that step and enjoy!

Tomato Soup Recipe

Continue to Content

Quick and Easy Tomato Soup Recipe

Yield: 10 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This classic tomato soup recipe, seasoned with basil and thyme, is the perfect bowl of comfort. Make a batch early in the week then easily rewarm for comfort food every night.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 56 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large nonreactive stock pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
2. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring for another 2 minutes until soft but not browned. Add flour and stir to coat onion and garlic for about 2 minutes.
3. Add basil and thyme and continue to stir to toast about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add broth, crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir to incorporate well. Cover, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for at least 30 minutes.
5. If you’re okay with a thicker soup, skip the next step (pureeing), season to taste and enjoy!
6. If you prefer a smooth/pureed soup, allow soup to cool slightly, and using a blender, or food processor carefully purée the soup in small batches of about 3-4 cups at a time, OR use an immersion blender to completely puree directly in the pot. (If using a blender or food processor be sure to vent/crack the lid to avoid steam building up.) Return pureed soup to the pot.
7. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm. If desired, garnish with chopped fresh basil, chives, dill, sour cream, and/or your favorite crumbled or grated cheese.

Notes

• Soup may be frozen in an airtight freezer container for up to three months.
• To avoid a metallic taste, when cooking Tomato Soup, it’s best prepared in a non-reactive pan. A non-reactive pan is a pan that will not react chemically with certain foods, specifically acids, like acids in the tomato for this recipe. When a recipe such as this calls for a non-reactive pan, look for stainless steel, enameled cast iron, glass, or clay. Particularly avoid aluminum or copper. Personally, I like to use enameled cast-iron (note: NOT cast-iron, but enameled cast-iron) or stainless steel pots when making soups and sauces as they conduct heat evenly and there is no concern for metallic taste.
• For this recipe dried herbs are listed but fresh basil or thyme may be substituted. Triple the amounts listed in the recipe.
• The soup will need to be pureed for a smooth texture, but if smoothness is not a concern, skip that step and enjoy.
• Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking.

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