You can make this tomato soup creamy or chunky if you prefer, but we love creamy soup recipes from Creamy Sweet Potato Soup to our velvety Carrot Soup and definitely Creamy Potato Soup. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. My husband never loved tomato soup until he tried this Creamy Tomato Soup. The addition of parmesan and just 1/2 cup of cream makes it so satisfying. It’s also a quick and easy 30-minute soup that keeps well in the fridge. We love it all year round and whip up a batch any time we are craving Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. 

Tomato Soup Video Tutorial

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Ingredients for Tomato Basil Soup

Since this is a tomato-based soup, it is important to offset the acidity with some key ingredients. We use a combination of cream, parmesan, and a little sugar to balance the soup.

Butter – use unsalted butter to sautee onions Yellow onion – it seems like a ton of onion but it dissapears into the soup adding a balanced sweetness Garlic – you’ll need 1 Tbsp minced from about 3 clovesCrushed tomatoes – with their juice, preferably San Marzano tomatoesChicken stock – for the best flavor use homemade chicken brothBasil – chop and add 1/4 cup fresh basil, plus more to serve. Basil leaves are easily bruised so chop by stacking a bunch of leaves then roll them into a log and cut into thin strips. Sugar – It’s just 1 Tbsp, but necessary to combat the tomato acidity. Black pepper – start with 1/2 tsp and add more to tasteWhipping cream – adds a creaminess to the soup and offsets acidity.Parmesan cheese – adds saltiness to the soup and balances acidity. Adding parmesan adds enough salt and I usually don’t add more.

How to Make Tomato Soup

Pro Tip: If you prefer a chunky soup with bits of tomato (like our Broccoli Cheese Soup), you can skip the blending step and proceed with adding cream and parmesan then season to taste.

Important: Use a Non-Reactive Pot

Since this soup is tomato-based it is important to use a non-reactive pot. Avoid aluminum, cast iron, and copper which are all made of metals that can react with tomatoes and make the soup taste metallic. Non-reactive pots that work well include: Stainless steel, enamel-coated cast iron, ceramic, and glass. We used our 5 1/2 Qt enamel-coated dutch oven pot.

Common Questions

How to Serve Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese – tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect match (try dipping the sandwich into the soup).Parmesan – add shredded parmesan while the soup is hot so it melts over the top.Fresh Basil – sprinkle the top with thinly sliced basil.Croutons – sprinkle crunchy croutons over the soup.Toast – simple toasted bread or crostini (like we made for Bruschetta) are great for dunking into the soup.

More Comforting Soups

If you love this Tomato Soup, then you won’t want to miss these cozy soup recipes from our easy Chicken Noodle Soup to luxurious Beef Stew. There’s something here for everyone.

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