This Tomato Basil Soup is a classic soup that’s easy to make from scratch. You can add cream and Parmesan cheese for an extra tasty twist! Instant Pot, slow cooker, and stovetop instructions included!
Who here remembers eating tomato soup and dipping their grilled cheese in it?? No, just me?? Or maybe you sprinkled yours with goldfish crackers, or drizzled it with some heavy cream, or maybe a hefty sprinkle of Parmesan cheese???
Well, I would eat it any of those ways! I remember eating tomato soup with my mom and younger brother when we were little. It was a fast and healthy dish she could serve us quickly for lunch. Usually served with grilled cheese of course!
Ingredients
The ingredients for this Tomato Basil Soup is pretty straight forward and nothing hard to find, which is a must for me. I usually have all the ingredients on hand at all times!
Canned Tomatoes: Use any kind you like, whole, diced, crushed, roasted….they will all work.
Tomato Paste: Adds a lot of tomato flavor.
Veggies: I am using onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. I like to use a lot of garlic but you can knock it down to only a few cloves if you prefer.
Broth: I am using vegetable broth to keep this a vegetarian dish but feel free to use chicken broth if you prefer.
Herbs: Both basil and oregano are used. I prefer to use dried in this recipe.
Honey: I wanted to make this soup without any sugar but in order to tame the acidity of the tomatoes I needed some sweetener. I tried using sweet potato which wasn’t bad but it started to become more of a vegetable soup rather than a tomato. I opted for honey after my dad suggested it and it worked perfectly! Thanks, dad!
Optional add-ins: You can add heavy cream and/or Parmesan cheese after the soup is done cooking for an extra luxurious dish. My kids love adding both cream and cheese to theirs.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
- Start by sautéing your vegetables just until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients to your pot. For the Instant Pot: seal the lid and the vent. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. After 10 minutes release the pressure then remove the lid. For the Stovetop: cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Slow cooker: add sauteed veggies to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a high powered blender to the consistency you desire.
- If you would like to add the cream and/or cheese do so before you puree the soup.
FAQs
There are many ways you can reheat this soup. You can do individual servings in the microwave. Or if you need to reheat more do so on the stovetop. Or you can even use your crockpot!
Yes, there are many health benefits to cooked tomatoes. They are loaded with lycopene, fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C, and D, as well as many other vitamins and minerals.
Regular tomato soup is pretty straight forward. It is made mostly of tomatoes with a few seasonings. No dairy products.
Cream of tomato soup is made with cream, half and half, or milk to make it to make it well, creamier.
Bisque is a French term for creamy soups made with seafood broth. However, over the years people now think of bisque as a cream based soup rather than one made from seafood.
YES!! Cool the soup completely and transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat as desired.
Serving Suggestions:
There are so many options when it comes to tomato soup and what to serve it with or if you prefer it plain that is great too! Here are some stir-in options:
- Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, cheddar cheese, goldfish crackers, oyster crackers, croutons, sour cream, pesto, or sundried tomatoes.
As far as what to serve along with your tomato soup here are a few options:
- Grilled cheese!!! Garlic bread, crusty bread, simple side salad or check out some of my other salads, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, or Homemade Cheese Pizza just to name a few. There really are so many options here.
More great soup recipes!
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Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter or oil of choice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 (28 oz)(793 g) can tomatoes (use any kind you have)
- 1 (14.5 oz) (411 g) can diced tomatoes (use any kind you have)
- 1 (6 oz) (170 g) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
STOVETOP:
- In a large pot, melt butter or oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery just until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove from heat and blend with a high powered blender or an immersion blender.
INSTANT POT:
- Set the Instant Pot to saute function. Melt butter or oil in Instant Pot. Saute onion, carrot, and celery just until onion starts to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients, place lid on Instant Pot, and set it to the locking position. Set the valve to sealing. Cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes and do a 10 minute natural release before releasing the remaining pressure.
- Blend with a high powered blender or an immersion blender.
SLOW COOKER:
- In a large skillet melt the butter or oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery just until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Blend with a high powered blender or an immersion blender.
Notes
- Using an immersion blender will not create a totally smooth soup. It’s what I used to make the soup you see in these pictures. If you prefer really smooth tomato soup use a high powered blender.
- You can leave out the honey if you prefer. I like to use it to help cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- FREEZER FRIENDLY: Cool soup completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat as desired.
- NUTRITION INFO: Nutrition calculated with butter.
- Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, cheddar cheese, goldfish crackers, oyster crackers, croutons, sour cream, pesto, or sundried tomatoes.
- Grilled cheese!!! Garlic bread, crusty bread, simple side salad or check out some of my other salads, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, or Homemade Cheese Pizza just to name a few. There really are so many options here.
I love a good soup recipe! This one is added to my favorites list!
Thank you very much!
This was the perfect easy addition to grilled cheese night! The kids loved it and so did my hubby and I. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, it’s perfect with grilled cheese! So glad you liked it!
We LOVE tomato basil soup and this recipe was fantastic! So simple yet so delicious, thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it!! It’s a family favorite!!
Loved the additional veggies in this soup! Yummy and nutritious.
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
This is definitely getting added to this weeks menu. We have the last of our heirloom tomatoes that need to be processed as well as basil and oregano. And – that grilled sandwich looks so good. Could I please have one of those? Have a great week.
Thank you so much! And I bet it will be so good with homegrown tomatoes! They have so much more flavor! Have a great weekend!
Love your soup! It looks thick, flavorful and has great color. Thanks for sharing the recipe, definitely will try it soon!
Thank you very much!! Let me know how you like it! 🙂