This Creamy Tomato Basil Soup is one of our family’s favorites! It’s rich, smooth, and packed with fresh tomato and basil flavor. It’s an easy homemade soup that’s perfect for chilly days, simple lunches, or pairing with a grilled cheese sandwich for the ultimate comfort food meal.
Canned tomatoes make this recipe easy enough for any night of the week, while fresh basil, garlic, and a splash of heavy cream create a soup that tastes like it simmered all day. We’ve tested tomato soup recipes for years, and this version is one we keep coming back to because it’s simple, creamy, and full of flavor. The kids are seriously obsessed and we don’t blame them.
If you love this recipe, be sure to try Tomato Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and Chicken Noodle Soup.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Easy: With a quick prep time, this best soup recipe comes together easily.
- Unmatched Flavor: With garlic, basil, and other delicious seasonings, this creamy tomato soup has a bold flavor that you’ll quickly fall in love with.
- For any season: This is a “comfort food” soup recipe, perfect for a cold day or any day!
- Great for Leftovers: The flavor gets even better after a day in the refrigerator.
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients
- Minced Garlic (4 teaspoons): Builds a flavorful base and adds savory depth to the soup.
- Diced Tomatoes (1 (28-ounce) can, drained with liquid reserved): Provides the rich tomato flavor and body. Good-quality canned tomatoes produce the best results.
- Basil Purée or Fresh Basil (2 tablespoons): Adds bright, fresh flavor that pairs perfectly with the tomatoes. Fresh basil is especially delicious when in season.
- Dried Thyme (½ teaspoon): Adds earthy flavor and complements the basil without overpowering it.
- Chicken Broth (2 cups, full-sodium): Creates a flavorful soup base. Vegetable broth works well for a vegetarian version.
- Garlic Salt with Parsley Flakes (to taste): Enhances the overall flavor while adding a little extra garlic.
- Black Pepper (to taste): Adds mild heat and balances the richness.
- Heavy Cream (½ cup, room temperature): Makes the soup rich, smooth, and creamy. Bringing it to room temperature helps prevent curdling.
- Toppings
- Croutons: Add a crunchy contrast to the creamy soup.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Adds salty, savory flavor and melts beautifully into each bowl.
- Fresh Basil: Brightens the soup with fresh flavor and color just before serving.
How to Make Tomato Basil Soup
COOK. Place garlic in a large pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
Add tomatoes, basil, sugar and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Add broth, then measure out 1 cup reserved tomato liquid and add to broth. Stir and lower heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
PUREE. In small batches, puree soup in a blender until it is the consistency you prefer.
Return soup to the pot over low heat, stir in heavy cream and mix well.
SEASON. Adjust seasoning with more garlic salt and pepper if needed, and garnish with croutons, basil and Parmesan cheese.
Crockpot Version
The steps are the same, just adjust the cooking time.
- Sauté garlic in a pan over medium heat and stir until fragrant. Add in the drained, diced tomatoes, basil and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a crock pot and add the remaining ingredients, except for the heavy cream, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours.
- Once cooked, reach the desired consistency by pureeing the tomatoes in small batches. Add heavy cream, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir until creamy. Serve.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Blend the soup in small batches and avoid filling the blender more than halfway when working with hot liquids.
- Instead of pouring the hot soup into a blender, simply blend in the pot using an immersion blender.
- Bring the heavy cream to room temperature before adding it to help prevent curdling.
- Simmer uncovered so the flavors concentrate and the soup thickens naturally.
- Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan just before serving for the best flavor.
- Fresh tomatoes. Replace the canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes like Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes. A 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes contained ⅓ cup of juice and 1 cup of diced tomatoes, packed.
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved
- 2 tablespoons basil puree, or chopped fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups full-sodium chicken broth
- garlic salt with parsley flakes, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
Toppings
- croutons, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Place garlic in a large pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, basil, sugar and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Add broth, then measure out 1 cup reserved tomato liquid and add to broth. Stir and lower heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
- In small batches, puree soup in a blender until it is the consistency you prefer.
- Return soup to the pot over low heat, stir in heavy cream and mix well.
- Adjust seasoning with more garlic salt and pepper if needed, and garnish with croutons, basil and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Blend the soup in small batches and avoid filling the blender more than halfway when working with hot liquids.
- Instead of pouring the hot soup into a blender, simply blend in the pot using an immersion blender.
- Bring the heavy cream to room temperature before adding it to help prevent curdling.
- Simmer uncovered so the flavors concentrate and the soup thickens naturally.
- Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan just before serving for the best flavor.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of two slices of bread (or spread with mayo) and lay one slice butter side down on the skillet. Add 1 slice cheddar and 1 slice provolone cheese to bread, then top with the other piece of bread, butter side up. Cook until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes per side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Follow the tomato soup recipe, except do not add the heavy cream. Once the cooked soup has cooled, transfer it into an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for 4-6 months.
Thaw in the fridge. Place soup in a pot on the stovetop and heat over medium heat. Once hot, but not boiling, add heavy cream and stir until smooth.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Slowly reheat in a saucepan, stirring consistently. If you’re in a hurry, microwave single servings in 30-second increments until hot.
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This recipe was first shared August, 2016.
great soup
Suggestions for making this Vegan-dairy free and have it turn out great!
This made hardly ANY soup! Maybe 2 servings of lucky. So disappointing
This soup has been in my rotation of favorites since I first found it. So delicious, and so easy to prepare! Definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love your Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. Easy to make and delicious!
Thank you! I’m so glad you love it!
So easy and so delicious!
Finally! A recipe for tomato basil soup that is delicious! Could you please explain why you reserve the juice from the tomatoes and add in later?
Made it yesterday and we loved it.
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup. Thanks so much for sharing!
When printed out, the recipe indicates it makes 10 servings. That is way off!!! You’d be lucky to get
4 1-cup servings.
Good flavor but fat content is over 70% of your daily requirement. To take a wholesome food such as tomatoes and turn it into A high calorie soup doesn’t make sense. You can substitute the heavy cream with fat-free milk and thicken with cornstarch.
So good and definitely warms you up on a cold night! We had this with a good old grilled cheese sandwich and we’re 100% making it again.
Grilled cheese & tomato soup equals the best combination! Thanks for sharing that!
It’s really good but has too much of a tomato taste so I added another cup of cream and it was perfect. I also added rotisserie chicken at the end. It was so good!
Thank you for sharing what you did! Glad you liked it!
yum! Thanks for this recipe- making it now and so far iT smells amazing!
It’s such a yummy smell! Glad you found this recipe! Sure hope you like it!
I didnt like tomatoes until I was older either, but I love them now. I cant wait to try this soup.
This looks like the perfect mini hot tub for a slice of fresh homemade bread to dive into. 🙂 So awesome! PS: This may be a duplicate comment, I think something may have happened on my previous attemp. haha
This is so creamy and delicious! Love that fresh basil flavor!
My husband loves this soup so much! It’s on regular rotation in our house!
This is beyond delicious! Super easy and we love making it in the crock pot, too!
yum! This is one of my absolute favorite soups! It is so tasty and so easy to make.
Give me a grilled cheese & this soup & I am set!! This was fabulous! It’s so smooth & creamy & had delicious flavor!
My husband loves tomato soup! So simple yet so satisfying. You will love the taste!
The perfect tomato soup to go with grilled cheese!
Do you ever do any Gluten Free Meals? Some I can substitute a few things but some things I can’t due to allergies. I also do not use canned or processed foods. Thank you!
There are definitely recipes that will fit gluten free, but you would just need to check around & look for some.
Hello Lil Luna
I have made your creamy basil tomato soup twice now. Your recipe online indicates that it serves 10-11 servings. No way. I followed the recipe to the letter. I am lucky to get 4-5 servings. Did you make a mistake on the suggested servings or another liquid ingredient ? Please advise. Thank you
Olga
Hello Lil LUna,
I have made this soup again and come up short. Barely feeds 4 people. The entire receipe liquid ingredients is really only 4-5 cups of liquid. The simmering evaporates some of it. Are you certain you haven’t missed out on the portion sizes. I love this soup. So now I double the receipe to make enough for 4 people to have extra helpings .
This soup sounds wonderful but what is the amount of tomatoes if using canned rather than fresh?
You use 1-28oz can of tomatoes. Hope that helps! Let me know what you think!!
Hi Kristyn,
Glad you enjoy tomatoes now.
I love tomato soups, would love to try this sometime!
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Have a wonderful week.
Amy
Haha, thanks!! It’s delicious! Let me know what you think!! Thanks so much and you have a great week, as well!