Easy Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Creamy tomato basil soup is a cold-weather must-have recipe. It’s unbelievably easy and so delicious.
This recipe is a perfect weeknight meal. Yes, 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.
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.
- Chicken stock – Or chicken broth. Homemade has better flavor, but store-bought works too.
- Granulated sugar – Sugar helps to cut the acidity in tomatoes.
- Dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper – For the most amazing flavor.
- 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.
Tips and Variations
- Make it vegetarian using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- You don’t have to blend the soup if you want a thicker, chunkier version.
- Use heavy cream instead of half and half for an even richer-tasting soup.
- If you need to make it non-dairy, use your choice of milk substitute. It will change the flavor and creamy texture of the soup.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
This recipe requires very few ingredients. Wash dry the basil, dice the shallot and press the garlic. Oh yeah, open the cans of tomatoes.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add shallot and saute until translucent.
Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds.
Add crushed tomatoes (juice and all), chicken stock (or chicken broth), oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Reduce the heat and bring it to a low simmer. Cook uncovered, occasionally stirring, for 15 minutes or until it has thickened.
Add the half and half, fresh basil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
We love this recipe and the texture. If it’s not smooth enough for your tastes, use an immersion blender to emulsify it to your liking.
FAQ
A hearty bread or, better yet, a grilled cheese sandwich. Classic!
It’s a great source of antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and can help with weight loss.
Let the soup cool to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can freeze this soup but without the dairy. Dairy does not freeze well, it tends to separate.
Blend the soup. Let it cool to room temperature, then freeze 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.
Easy Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
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.
- Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes (juice and all), chicken stock, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- 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.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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! #sharewithme
Thank you!
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!
I’m so happy you enjoy the soup! Thanks for coming by to tell me, Kristin! 🙂
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?
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.
Can I make this recipe without the 1/2 and 1/2? Can’t have dairy
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!
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!
Wow, thanks, Sarah! I really appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
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!
Hi, Laura! Thank you so much for coming by to tell us you enjoyed the soup!!!
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.
Hi, Andy! So glad you enjoyed the soup. I have added the nutritional information to the recipe. Thanks so much for coming by!
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 😋