Classic Tomato Soup (Lightened Up!)
You're going to love this classic tomato soup recipe! It's super creamy, yet light (no cream). You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 1, 2024
This soup is everything I want tomato soup to be! It’s rich and creamy, yet doesn’t weigh me down. It’s bursting with amazing tomato flavor, yet it’s made from canned tomatoes.
That’s right, canned tomatoes. The season for ripe tomatoes (summer) is not the season for tomato soup (fall through spring). It’s a real conundrum, and this homemade tomato soup recipe is the perfect solution.
I developed this recipe for my cookbook, and wanted to bring it to life here on the blog as well. I bet you have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
Tomato soup is perfect for rainy days. It’s even more perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich. Are you ready?!
Why You’ll Love this Tomato Soup
Here are four reasons why this tomato soup recipe will become your new favorite:
- This recipe offers classic homemade tomato soup flavor, and it’s made with basic pantry ingredients. Winning!
- It’s rich and creamy, yet cream-less. It uses a combination of white beans (I promise you can’t taste them) and butter to achieve this feat.
- This soup is special diet-friendly. It’s gluten free, since it doesn’t need any flour for thickening. It’s also easily made vegan—see the recipe notes.
- You can turn this recipe into tomato basil soup, if you have fresh basil on hand. It couldn’t be easier.
How to Make the Best Tomato Soup
This recipe is so easy to make! If you’re serving more than a couple people, I recommend doubling the ingredients.
1) Cook chopped onion in olive oil until tender, then add tomato paste.
Every great soup starts with an onion! Once it’s tender, we’ll stir in a dollop of tomato paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Tomato paste offers deep tomato flavor and adds a lot of intensity to this soup.
Tip: You can freeze leftover tomato paste in an air-tight container for several months.
2) Add whole canned tomatoes and vegetable broth, and gently simmer for 30 minutes.
Next, we’ll add one big can of whole tomatoes. Did you know that whole tomatoes are the highest-quality canned tomatoes? Canning companies reserve the less ideal tomatoes for diced and crushed varieties. Don’t worry about breaking up the tomatoes as they cook, because we’re going to blend them next.
This is the perfect time to clean up the kitchen or kick back with a glass of wine. You know which one I’m rooting for.
Tip: Stock up on Muir Glen tomato products, because they consistently taste the best.
3) Transfer the soup to a blender, and add a few more essential ingredients.
I always recommend using your stand blender for soups (vs. an immersion blender), because stand blenders produce much creamier soups.
Now, we’re going to add a few key ingredients: Great Northern beans (for creamy texture), butter (for amazing rich flavor), a little sugar (it balances the acidity of the tomatoes), salt and pepper. I don’t add sugar to savory dishes often, but just 1 teaspoon makes a big difference.
Tip: This recipe won’t use up a whole can of beans. You can freeze the leftover rinsed and drained beans in a resealable bag (silicone or Ziploc) for future batches of soup.
4) Blend until completely smooth, and serve.
There’s nothing better than tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. You could also enjoy this soup with a big green salad. I actually think it would go great with this lentil and carrot green salad.
Watch How to Make Tomato Soup
Tomato Basil Soup Variation
This is so easy and delicious. Once you have blended your soup, simply add a handful of fresh basil leaves and blend until they’re broken into tiny bits.
If you’ve ever had Nordstrom’s tomato basil soup—this option tastes like a more fresh version of it. Yum.
Please let me know how your soup turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Looking for more creamy, lightened-up soups? Here are a few more favorites to bookmark:
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
- Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Classic Tomato Soup
You’re going to love this classic tomato soup recipe! It’s super creamy, yet light and magically cream-less. Make this easy recipe tonight! Recipe yields 4 modest bowls; if you are serving a crowd or want leftovers, simply double the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, with their liquid
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup cooked Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For the tomato-basil variation (optional): 10 to 15 fresh basil leaves, to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and turning translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, being sure not to fill past the maximum fill line (blend in batches if necessary). Add the beans, butter, sugar, and several twists of black pepper. Securely fasten the lid and blend the soup until smooth, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid.
- Since canned tomatoes vary in flavor, I always end up tinkering with this soup a bit at the end. Taste and, if necessary, add a little more sugar (to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes), pepper, and salt (I usually add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon).
- If you’re adding basil, add it now. Briefly blend again, and serve hot. This soup keeps well for up to four days or so. You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe comes from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
My favorite canned tomatoes: I always recommend Muir Glen tomatoes for their superior flavor. Plus, they’re organic.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Replace the butter with 1 tablespoon additional extra-virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I wanna try this, if um gonna use fresh tomatoes, what extra steps should i do first?
Hi! I find it works best with canned as they seem to have more flavor. Make sure you use the same quantity in ounces.
Very delicious soup! I was a little skeptical before making it since it doesn’t have the classic cream but I did it and it tasted really good! I just skipped adding the sugar but still taste great. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Morgan! I appreciate your review.
I have done both – canned, and fresh from the garden, and each batch has been amazing. I don’t even like tomatoes, but I LOVE this soup. This morning I picked a bowl full of tomatoes, blitzed them through my Vitamix, and soup was done shortly thereafter (the Vitamix can actually make hot soup in six minutes from cold, but I simmered the tomatoes first. SO good!
I love that, Susie! Thank you for your review.
This soup is amazingly good. I have made it a bunch of times and will continue to do so.
Thank you, Kathleen!
I went to a wedding over the weekend and had tomato soup, it was so delicious I needed to try and make it myself. This recipe was spot on. Do not forget the butter it takes the recipe to a other level. At the wedding that I went to they also drizzled chilli oil over the top. YUM
Will give this a try just asking do I drain the tomatoes and the beans first or add juice?
Wow, we loved this recipe! Definitely going to be a staple! Thanks Kate!
This is the BEST tomato soup ever. Period. I have always loved canned tomato soup, but can no longer eat it because it is not gluten free. Or maybe it is gluten free but LOADED with salt:-( This soup is delicious, not too salty, and with just a hint of sweetness to heighten the tomato-ness. I followed the recipe exactly, doubling to have some to freeze (in glass jars) and it is not only super easy, but fun to make. It will be a staple in my freezer. Grilled cheese and tomato soup for supper tonight. Yaay!! Thanks Cookie and Kate
I’m glad you loved it! This soup does freeze well. I appreciate your review.
I tried the Tomato Basil version on a whim tonight because I had some basil in the fridge & doubled it because I’ve been so impressed by the soups I’ve tried from Cookie & Kate — MMMMM!! I loved it! I used Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter for the butter, and Garbanzo beans because I didn’t have any Great Northern Beans (a quick google search told me it was okay to sub these for each other in soups! and I was hoping I wouldn’t ruin it). FABULOUS! I had two bowls!! Froze some, refrigerated some and cannot wait to eat more!
This will be one of my go-to soups to always have on hand in the freezer! Excellent!
Easy and yummy. I doubled the recipe and used a whole can of white beans. We did the version with added basil (light dried).
WOW! BOOM! Best tomato soup I have ever had. Definitely add fresh basil per the recipe if you can…adds so much flavor and punch!
I added a teeny bit more broth to make it less thick. I am serving it with Kate’s dijon/green onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich tonight….SUPER excited!
Thanks so much Kate!
Hooray! Thank you, Dave.
Kate, can you add a whole tin instead of half. I never know what to do with the leftover beans!
Hi Sabah, you can freeze left over beans to save for the next batch!
Love the recipe! Tasted just like Nordstrom’s tomato Basil – my favorite! And less calories. Really enjoyed it.
I love this recipe. I’ve tried many different ones and none were repeated. This is a keeper. Thank-you so much.
Perfect, Easy & Delicious! Just made today added dried basil and a little garlic salt/powder
hank you!
BEST tomato soup recipe! I have been looking for a recipe like this for months, something with texture and flavour with no dairy. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this! (I used Miyoko’s vegan cultured butter in place of dairy butter.)
This soup is delicious! Super smooth and creamy and the flavor was perfect! I didn’t have any northern beans so I used a cup of soaked cashews and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Heidi! Thank you for your review.
This was a dish of delish as is but I like a little back heat so I added a pinch of smoked hot paprika. Thanks for the recipe!!
I want to make the classic tomato soup. But you don’t have the nutritional value. I need to know that, very important! But the recipe sounds delicious, if only you could add that.
Hi, The nutritional information is below the notes section. You just need to click to expand.
Can you recommend a substitute for the white beans? Our kids have an allergy to all but black beans!
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that cindy. You could try adding a little bit of cream instead since white beans are what help with the overall creaminess.
Hi,
My partner and I just tried this recipe and it was so good that we made it twice! The tomato soup is so rich and creamy without even having to use any cream. Thanks so much Kate (and Cookie) for this delicious recipe. We’ve tried a bunch of other recipes from you and they’ve all turned out amazing
You’re welcome, Pengs! I appreciate your review.
Only thing missing is garlic! I chopped up two cloves and threw em in with the onions. Delicious!
So easy, so good!! I added some hot chili sauce for extra kick and omitted the butter to save some calories. YUMMM. Highly Recommend.
The most amazing tomato soup I ever had. I used kidney beans… the red color added character.
Delicious. I left out the beans as I didn’t have any, but otherwise made it as stated including the basil. Perfect consistency (I think it’d have been too thick with the beans) and great flavour. Will be my “go to” tomato soup recipe from now on.
Wonderful, Emma! Thank you for your review.
This is one of my favourite soup recipes! I find that homemade tomato soup often ends up tasting like tomato sauce. It’s not the case here! It has a rich and creamy taste, and I now make it regularly.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Lisa.
Loved this soup! It seemed so simple and only a few ingredients so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was sooo good. Definitely recommend adding the fresh basil. Yum!
How much fresh basil and is it chopped or minced?
Love this soup! It’s our absolute favourite. We add a bit of soya milk/cream to make it even more creamy.
Can I use chickpeas instead ?
I don’t think you will accomplish the same creamy consistency.
Could you use garbanzo beans?
Hi Susanne, I don’t think they will give you the same level of creaminess. Sorry! If you try it, I would be interested if you do try it.
This recipe is super tasty! Thank you for sharing.
Hi – how well does this freeze to be consumed at a later time?
This soup freezes great!
I tried it last week with no height hope as ingredients are few but WHOA!!!! the result is amazing. The entire family loved it. They requested ENCORE. Am making it again today
Hooray! I love that. Thank you for sharing, Nettaya.
The description is right. This soup is nice and thick and has a great colour. It is also a really easy recipe to follow. However I, personally, didn’t like the flavour that the cannellini beans and the generous amount of butter, gave the soup. Added lots more salt, pepper and good shakes of cayenne and paprika to combat that ‘there’s something missing’ when we tasted it at the end. Glad I made this but will not be making it again.
I’m sorry you didn’t like the bean addition. I appreciate your feedback, Cris.
Where has this been all my life? Followed all instructions and it’s perfect. I’ll add this to my list of regulars. Obviously, it’s easy to modify if you like some other flavors, like garlic or something spicy, but I loved it as is! Thank you!
That’s great! I’m glad you found this recipe and now it will be on your favorite list, Vanessa. Thanks for your review!
I found your recipe and tried it out although I must admit I combined it with another tomato soup recipe I found. I left out the butter and added celery and carrot and some spices and it was great! Loved using the beans in this!
Was craving a tomato soup and found this recipe. It was delicious!!! Exactly what I was craving and so easy to make. Honestly shouldn’t be surprised given all your recipes have been so good!
Wonderful, Kay! Thank you for your review.
I just made this with the grilled cheese and both recipes were amazing. I did a half batch of the soup and added fresh basil, it was seriously so so so good. And I went dijon heavy on the grilled cheese which was an amazing combo. I added kale to use it up and I think the dijon just got stuck in the leaves. Ugh, thank you! Such a perfect meal. YUM
The best combination! Thank you for sharing, Danielle.
Didn’t have stock on hand so used Vogel’s vegetable salt instead and maple syrup for a dash of sweetness. I blended only the half the mixture so I still had some chunky bits in the soup. Served with crusty toasted rye bread – yum!
This is the most delicious tomato soup. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m happy you loved it, Bails!
This soup is spicy and amazing as I have tried it many time at home when i come to home every weekend. I love this recipe and this is my favorite. thank you Kate for it.
Simply terrific full of flavour.
I’m happy you think so, Geri! Thank you for your review.
I have several cups of leftover tomato juice & pulp from making salsa. Can I use this for the soup? Sub out the vegetable broth maybe?
Just trying to find a way to use the leftovers.
Hi Lisa, I would suggest recipes as follows, otherwise it would be a different recipe needed adjustments to flavor.
Loved this soup and wanted to add to my collection but where is the print feature?
Hi Carol, It wasn’t working, but it’s back up now.
I just figured out. With the redesign of your website you have eliminated the print feature. I am sure you have a good reason for doing this. This is a total disappointment. I don’t like doing recipes from a computer. I just print off the recipe and add it to my cookbook collection for easy reference.
I am now going to have to write out the whole recipe. I really wish you would reconsider this. Thank you for listening. Love so many of your recipes.
Hi Carol, I have not redesigned the blog. I am in the process, but it hasn’t been up dated yet. The print function wasn’t working and took some time to fix. But, it is back now. I do apologize for the frustration, but it’s fixed.
So happy!
Delicious
I’m glad you loved it, Callum!
Super Delicious
My husband, brother-in-law, and parents-in-law all loved this recipe. I decided to sautee the onions instead of putting them with the tomatoes and bell pepper in the oven, and I added garlic as well. It was very simple to make, and delicious.
That’s great to hear, Julia! Thank you for your review.
Could you use some fresh oregano if you have it instead of basil? Can’t wait to make this, thanks!
Hi Amanda, you could omit instead if you don’t have basil. It’s still delicious without it.
This is my go-to for Tomato Soup! I added some fried onions on the top with a side of grilled cheese. *chef’s kiss*
Thank you for sharing, Kiki!
Great recipe! So simple to make and easily adaptable to any taste. I used garbanzo beans, a pinch of sugar and chicken broth and it was so tasty!! Adding this recipe to my quick meal list.
I’m glad you loved it, Natalie! Thank you for your review.
Wow- this soup is such a winner! Everyone who has ever tried this soup has loved it including my toddler son. My 3 year old eagerly picks up his spoon when he sees this at the table and even proclaimed “I love soup!” while enjoying it. Thank you for this amazing recipe (and book!).
Thank you, Lynne! I’m glad you loved it.
Wow- this soup is such a winner! Everyone who has ever tried this soup has loved it including my toddler son. My 3 year old eagerly picks up his spoon when he sees this at the table and even proclaimed “I love soup!” while enjoying it. Thank you for this amazing recipe (and book!). (I do the tomato-basil variation- yum!!!)
The soup was really good and I would make it again but I did add a couple of ingredients just to enhance the flavour………some fresh basil and fresh oregano from our garden plus a lot of pepper. Definitely a keeper recipe, thanks!
You’re welcome, Lili!
This is INCREDIBLE!! I only had chicken broth on hand so mine wasn’t vegetarian, and used canned diced tomatoes (I was just using stuff in my pantry ) but we LOVED every bite of it! So good with some grilled cheese
I’m glad you hear it!
I made this soup for dinner and we loved it! Thank you
You’re welcome!
As always, a great recipe!
Try cutting your grilled cheese sandwich into “croutons” ( about 3/4 – 1 inch squares. OMG!