Easy Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy tomato basil soup is a cold-weather must-have recipe. It’s unbelievably easy and so delicious.

Creamy tomato basil soup in a white bowl garnished with basil leaves.

Why You’ll Love This

This recipe is a perfect weeknight meal. You will have time to make grilled cheese sandwiches to dip in the soup.

In our house, the perfect comfort food is a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. Really! We won’t even consider eating tomato soup without one. Crazy, I know.

This creamy tomato soup is a quick meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes.

Some of the other easy soup recipes we love making are root vegetable soup, thick chili recipe, vegetarian Tuscan white bean and kale soup, and split pea soup recipe without ham.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe Video

What You’ll Need

  • Olive oil, garlic cloves, and shallot – You can use regular onion, but the shallot lends a milder onion flavor.
  • Crushed tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes cook up faster and are easier to emulsify. You can use diced canned tomatoes, but you will probably want to use an immersion blender to make a smooth textured soup.
  • Chicken stock – Or chicken broth. Homemade has better flavor, but store-bought works too.
  • Granulated sugar – Sugar helps to cut the acidity in tomatoes.
  • Seasonings – Dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Fresh basil – Fresh is best, but you can use dried basil in a pinch.
  • Half and Half – This adds a creamy, rich flavor to the soup.
Fresh basil, garlic, and shallot on a wooden board.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This quick tomato basil soup recipe requires very few ingredients. Wash and dry the basil, dice the shallot and press the garlic. Oh yeah, open the cans of tomatoes.

Creamy tomato basil soup in a blue dutch oven.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add shallot and sauté until translucent.

Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add crushed tomatoes (juice and all), chicken stock (or chicken broth), oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Creamy tomato basil soup in a white bowl garnished with fresh basil.

Reduce the heat and bring it to a low simmer. Cook uncovered, occasionally stirring, for 15 minutes or until it has thickened.

Stir in the half and half, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

We love this easy tomato basil soup and its texture. If it’s not smooth enough for your tastes, use an immersion blender to emulsify it to your liking.

Or use a regular blender, but you will need to do it in batches.

Tips

  • Choose high quality canned tomatoes for the best flavor. After all, it’s the main ingredient for this homemade tomato basil soup.
  • Using crushed tomatoes means you don’t have to blend the soup. If you want a thicker, chunkier version, use diced tomatoes.
  • Use heavy cream instead of half and half for an even richer-tasting soup.
  • If you need to make it dairy-free, use your choice of non-dairy milk substitute. But be aware that it will change the flavor and creamy texture of the soup.
  • Garnish each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese.

Variations

  • Organic Tomato Basil Soup – Purchase organic canned tomatoes and organic seasonings
  • Vegetarian Tomato Basil Soup – Use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
  • Roasted Tomato Basil Soup – Use canned fire roasted crushed tomatoes.

FAQs

What goes best with tomato basil soup?

A hearty bread or, better yet, a grilled cheese sandwich. Classic!

Is tomato basil soup healthy?

It’s a great source of antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and can help with weight loss.

Storing

Let the soup cool to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing

You can freeze this soup but without the dairy. Dairy does not freeze well. It tends to separate.
If you wish to freeze the tomato basil soup, blend the soup but do not add the cream. Let it cool to room temperature, then freeze it in a freezer-safe airtight container. It will store for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat the soup, and then add the cream.

More Soup Recipes

Are you on Pinterest? Click the button below to add this recipe to one of your boards!
A bowl of tomato basil soup in a white bowl.

Easy Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Creamy, hearty, flavorful tomato soup! This is a must-have cold weather recipe.
4.67 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 192kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 large Shallot, diced
  • 56 oz Crushed Tomatoes 2 – 28 oz cans
  • 1 1/2 cup Chicken Stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 Tsp Kosher Salt
  • Several grinds of Pepper to taste
  • 1 Cup Half and Half
  • 12 – 15 large Fresh Basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  • In a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and saute until translucent.
    1 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 large Shallot, diced
  • Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds.
    2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • Add crushed tomatoes (juice and all), chicken stock, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.
    56 oz Crushed Tomatoes, 1 1/2 cup Chicken Stock or vegetable stock, 1 Tbsp Sugar, 1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano, 2 Tsp Kosher Salt, Several grinds of Pepper to taste
  • Bring to a low simmer. Cook uncovered, for 15 minutes or until it has thickened.
  • Add the half and half, basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
    1 Cup Half and Half, 12 – 15 large Fresh Basil leaves, chopped
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Choose high-quality canned tomatoes for the best flavor.
Storing – Let the soup cool to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing – If you wish to freeze the tomato basil soup, blend the soup but do not add the cream. Let it cool to room temperature, then freeze it in a freezer-safe air-tight container. It will store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat the soup, and then add the cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1228mg | Potassium: 905mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 807IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 4mg

Share With Your Friends And Family!

15 Comments

  1. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE!! I had used this many times in a campus cafe and the students always loved it! It’s so easy and just so dang tasty!! Thanks for sharing 😋

  2. So delicious! I had most ingredients on hand. Had to purchase tomatoes and basil, cost less than $8. So creamy and bold. Love it. Wish I had nutritional information.5 stars

    1. Hi, Andy! So glad you enjoyed the soup. I have added the nutritional information to the recipe. Thanks so much for coming by!

  3. This soup was wonderful and very simple! I only had one can of crushed tomatoes so I used tomato sauce as a replacement for the other, the texture probably wasn’t as thick as yours but we liked it. We are dairy free so I used coconut milk instead of half and half it helped to give the creamy texture. I’m excited to try it again, thanks for sharing!5 stars

  4. in your last paragraph of instructions you say to add BAY leaves and half & half. Did you mean add BASIL leaves? might want to correct that paragraph!5 stars

    1. You could but the taste will be different. No longer “creamy” tomato basil soup. Please let us know how it turns out. Thank you so much for coming by!

  5. Will this be too thin if I use tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes? It is a snow day here and I would really like to make tomato soup for dinner but tomato sauce is all I have! Maybe if I throw in tomato paste too?

    1. Marcy, I’m sorry if I’m too late to answer this question. Did you try it with the tomato sauce? I wouldn’t think it would be too thin. I have just always used the crushed tomatoes for some texture to the soup.

  6. Delicious! I just made this. I used petite diced tomatoes instead of crushed and used an immersion blend. I think my guests will enjoy it!

  7. Tomato soup is one of my fave winter soups to go to and so comforting. The creaminess of this one looks amazing I always strive for creamy but haven’t perfected the tomato soup yet. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me. I hope to see you again tomorrow for another great round! #sharewithme5 stars

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *