Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (From Canned Tomatoes)

There is nothing more comforting than a delicious bowl of homemade creamy tomato basil soup. This easy creamy tomato soup tastes nothing at all like soup you get in a can and everyone always loves it. This recipe is made with canned tomatoes, chicken stock, basil and aromatics and it is so warming and delicious. Serve it with some grilled cheese or cheesy bread for the most delicious and easy meal that everyone will love.

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Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

I love when it is cool enough to make this creamy tomato basil soup because it warms you like no other food can. Homemade tomato soup has nostalgic memories of childhood especially when grilled cheese or cheese crostini is made with it for dipping.

Making a creamy tomato soup is actually very easy and it is completely customizable to your taste. It makes a great quick weeknight meal but you can also make this for friends too.

This tomato basil soup utilizes canned tomatoes and chicken stock which are probably already in your pantry so it can be made year round! The irony about making tomato soup is you don't usually want to make soup in the summer when tomatoes are fresh.

That is why I always make this soup with canned tomatoes, so I can enjoy it in the Fall and Winter months.

I love having canned tomatoes on hand not just for this soup but lots of my Italian dishes like my pork bolognese , Italian zucchini or cherry tomato pasta.

I also always have a container or two of chicken stock for my favorite Italian fagioli soup or Italian wedding soup that I love making.

Ingredients to make this creamy tomato soup

Making a really delicious homemade tomato soup is very easy and requires only a handful of ingredients. Here is what you will need.

1. Canned whole tomatoes. Any variety will do (Italian, plum, whole tomatoes, etc). Many people think that homemade tomato soup is made with fresh tomatoes but by using canned tomatoes, we skip the whole step of taking the tomato skins off of the tomatoes which is would you would need to do with fresh. This is an easy tomato basil soup recipe so we are using canned tomatoes!
2. Fresh Basil. If you have been following along for a while, then you know that I always say fresh basil is the only basil you should be using. Dried basil tastes bitter and lacks the sweetness that fresh basil imparts in recipes.
3. Chicken stock. You can also use vegetable stock if you want to make this dish vegetarian. I always prefer chicken stock to chicken broth because I prefer the flavor. You could use broth if that is what you have on hand.
4. Kosher salt. If you are working with regular table salt, just make sure you half the amount of salt that is used in the tomato basil soup recipe.
5. Garlic. I love fresh garlic and this is the time to use it. Fresh garlic with basil and tomatoes is a match made in heaven.
6. Shallot. There is just a little bit of shallot in this tomato soup recipe. It adds a little background flavor and compliments the garlic.
7. Olive Oil. You can use extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil for this recipe.
8. Dried Oregano. Optional but it does lend a bit of background flavor. Normally I always opt for fresh ingredients but dried oregano works great in this tomato soup.
9. Heavy cream. There is just a touch of heavy cream in this tomato basil soup. Just a little is all you need to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes and basil and to impart the creaminess of this tomato soup.

How to make tomato basil soup

This tomato basil soup is so easy and it screams summer with all of the fresh notes of flavor from the garlic, tomatoes and basil. If you have about 30 minutes, you can make this really easy tomato basil soup.

1. Prep your ingredients: This is where you dice up the shallot, garlic and rinse the fresh basil.
2. Cook it up on the stovetop: Sauté your shallots and garlic until soft and then add your chicken stock and canned tomatoes. Don't forget to break up those tomatoes to help them release their juices.
3. Add your seasonings: Oregano, basil, salt and pepper. You can adjust it to taste later on.
4. Simmer: Let it all simmer for a few minutes so the tomatoes and basil along with the garlic have time to impart their flavor.
5. Mix it up in the blender: Add most of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. If you prefer it extra creamy add all of your soup in batches to the blender and blend until smooth.
6. Add soup back to the pot: Add the tomato basil soup back to soup pot then add the cream and adjust for any seasoning. It is good to taste for seasoning after the cream is added since cream can add a sweet note.
7. Enjoy!

Pro-Tip: You can double this recipe and have extra for another night. This soup freezes well too. I have included instructions for how to do this below in the recipe section.

Variations

Now I like a little texture in my tomato soup so this tomato soup recipe is part creamy and part chunky. If you prefer a totally creamy tomato soup then you can blend all of the soup in your blender in batches until all of it is fully blended and smooth.

You can also add about a half cup more of the heavy cream to make it even creamier and more decadent.

Tips for blending hot tomato soup in a blender

When you are blending this tomato basil soup in the blender (or any hot liquid), you want to make sure you follow these simple steps for safety:

• Fill the blender only half full with the hot tomato soup. When you blend hot liquids, it expands so it will reach the top of the blender when it is filled halfway.
• Make sure the lid is on tight and cover the lid with a kitchen towel. You do this just in case the hot liquid pushes through an opening in the top of the blender.

If you follow these simple safety steps, you will be on your way to not just blending up this creamy tomato basil soup but any delicious creamy soup you want to make.

What To Serve With This Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Now let's talk about that delicious cheesy crostini that you see in the pictures with the tomato soup. Nothing is more nostalgic than cheese bread of some variety with tomato soup.

This cheese crostini is my more grown up version of the classic grilled cheese and my favorite thing to serve with this soup.

I had originally only had the tomato soup recipe but I have gotten so many requests for the crostini recipe that I am adding it below and to the recipe section. This cheesy crostini is to die for!

You can also skip the cheese part and make a crusty garlic crostini to dip into the soup. If you prefer a side dish to go along with this soup, then this warm arugula salad would be great.

How to make cheesy crostini for this tomato soup:

Making this delicious cheese crostini to dip into the creamy tomato basil soup is 100 percent worth the extra few minutes. When you sit down to a delicious bowl of homemade tomato basil soup with cheesy bread to dip into it, you will be a happy you made it!

1. Slice up some good-quality baguette or Italian bread.
2. Drizzle it with olive oil.
3. Place under the broiler for 3 minutes or so a side until the bread is nice and browned.
4. Remove from the oven.
5. Rub the crostini with a fresh clove of garlic.
6. Sprinkle a little kosher salt.
7. Add shredded gruyere and Parmesan to the tops of the bread.
8. Place back into the oven under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes until the cheese is just melted.
9. Serve immediately with your tomato soup.

If you prefer, you can also use these same ingredients and make a delicious grilled cheese to dip into the creamy tomato soup. We love doing this too.

Pairing Ideas

If you want some more ideas of what to serve with this creamy tomato basil soup, here are some of our favorites:

For more tomato recipes:

• Tomato Rubbed Crostini
• Homemade Meatballs and Tomato Sauce
• Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Roasted Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa
• Salsa Criolla with Flank Steak
• Vegetable Soup With Cabbage
• Italian Baked Zucchini
• Easy San Marzano Marinara Sauce
• Pimento Cheese Sandwich with tomatoes