Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes

Making tomato soup with canned tomatoes is such an easy way to make a delicious meal. The combination of tomato soup with a grilled cheese is a dinner idea that satisfies everyone in my household. We make this dinner all year round thanks to canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are always fresh and are easy to store so we always have the ingredients handy.

Old Fashioned Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes

Tomato Soup is an old fashioned soup. An old fashioned soup is a type of soup that has been popular for decades and has fans throughout all generations. I have always seen tomato soup paired with a grilled cheese, which elevates the grilled cheese experience ten fold. I think a lot of people will agree with me when I say that a soup and sandwich is a super comforting meal, and when you can dip your sandwich into the soup – even better! Tomato soup made with canned tomatoes is an easy way to make this meal all year round without the need for fresh tomatoes.

A lot of times when you use fresh tomatoes you want to peel the skin. However, when you use canned tomatoes you have the option for the tomatoes to already be peeled. Peeled tomatoes create a super creamy soup texture which I know you will love. I love using canned tomatoes for so many recipes during the year. I normally have about 5 different canned tomato varieties in my pantry. Having a good stock of them ensures I can make this tomato soup all year round. It is an easy meal to whip up when you don’t know what to make.

Tomato Soup Ingredients

• Tomatoes – Canned tomatoes are great for tomato soup. I prefer to choose a variety that is already peeled so that it creates a creamier texture. You can find canned tomatoes that have already been seasoned with garlic and basil to give the soup some added flavor. Although, that is not very important since you will also be adding those ingredients into this soup separately.
• Butter/Oil – I love using salted butter in this recipe, and I love using a combination of butter and olive oil. I love the flavor of butter and olive oil together. The flavor is so classic! Stay within the 3 tablespoon range for butter and then add 1-1.5 tablespoons of olive oil. I like to cook down my onions and garlic in this butter oil combination until they are transcluscent.
• Onion – one large sweet yellow onion is my onion choice for this soup. You do not need to chop it too finely as it will be sautéed and then added to a high speed blender to get creamy.
• Garlic – I like to use 4 cloves of garlic or 2 cloves of garlic plus a shallot. If you have any garlic and herb boursin cheese, you can even add some of that instead of some of the cream below.
• Broth – I always use chicken broth in my soup recipes, but if you would like to keep this soup vegetarian friendly, feel free to use vegetable broth. If you don’t mind using chicken broth, you can even use chicken bone broth which will add more nutrients to this soup.
• Basil – This herb is a must in this soup. Basil and tomatoes are besties and the flavor they create is absolutely wonderful.
• Salt/Pepper – black pepper is optional but salt isn’t. I do not use much salt in this recipe because I use salted butter and I also add parmesan cheese at the end which also has salt. Sea Salt is preferred!

Dairy Ingredients in Tomato Soup

• Milk/Cream – Tomatoes are really acidic so I used heavy cream in this soup. The dairy acts as a base in this soup to neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes. If you are sensitive to acid reflux, you probably know by now that tomatoes can be really acidic, and if you are someone who is sensitive I really recommend the heavy cream. Not to mention, the cream gives this soup a creamier texture and such a delicious flavor. You can’t go wrong with it! You can also add some garlic and herb boursin to this soup instead of some of the cream. It will give this soup such incredible flavor.
• Parmesan Cheese – I love the flavor this parmesan cheese gives this soup. I also like the fact that shreds of parmesan cheese do not melt that fast, so you can stir the soup and get a little bit of parmesan cheese in every bite. It is heavenly!

Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes and Milk

The reason tomato soup is normally paired with milk is because tomatoes are very acidic. Milk is a base so it helps to neutralize the soup and the flavor. Some people add sugar into the soup too, but I prefer to just add more cream and cheese. I have another version of tomato soup that adds grilled pieces of halloumi cheese “croutons” into the soup. These little croutons taste like little grilled cheeses on their own.

How to make Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS  

• 56 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp salted butter
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic diced
• 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup fresh basil plus more to use as a garnish
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot on medium low heat. Once it is hot, add chopped onions. Cook them for about 10 minutes until they are transluscent. Add the garlic and give it a good stir.
• Add the canned tomatoes, broth, salt, and basil. Mix together and then bring to a boil. Once the soup starts boiling, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook for ten minutes uncovered.
• Turn off the heat and add the contents of the pot to a high speed blender. You may need to do this in two batches. Blend until very smoothe.
• Add the soup back to pot and turn the heat to low. Add in your heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Serve with some fresh basil.