Meow Recipes: Simple Homemade Tomato Soup

Tomato soup in a bowl in a white bowl with a white spoon.

Hallooooo, fall!

And hallo, tomato soup. Yes, it’s soup season, although, let’s be honest – I would not be sad if I ended up eating this for 12 out of 12 months of the year. This homemade tomato soup could love me all year long.

I based this recipe off of the cream of tomato soup recipe in The New Classics cookbook* by Saveur and yes I’ve essentially read this cookbook cover to cover. Reading a cookbook like this cover to cover essentially means cooking it cover to cover, which is possibly the best thing that ever did happen to me.

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Why You’Ll Love This Simple Homemade Tomato Soup

Can I blow your mind for a second? This homemade tomato soup starts with bacon. B-a-c-o-n. Tomato soup // bacon // it just works. These are the delicious ways in which Saveur inspires.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what else we’re working with:

Some fresh veggies and aromatics like carrots, onion, and garlic.
Yummy herbs like thyme and bay leaf.
Lots of tomato goodness thanks to a delicious can of (HAND-CRUSHED) San Marzano.
Cream. Because, of course.

Ohhhmygosh, the smells that will happen. I am having a hard time imagining anything more comforting than being in my kitchen experiencing the simmer-smells of this simple homemade tomato soup in progress.

Let’s Make Something Delicious

Start this soup by crisping up some bacon in a large pot or, even better, a Dutch oven.

Once things are looking crispy, toss in your cut-up veggies. Give things a little stir to coat everything in the bacon grease.

Plop in some tomato paste with a little bit of flour and watch things start to carmelize. Okay, gosh. This soup, folks! We’re not even done and it’s so good!

Pour your can of San Marzano tomatoes in along with some dried spices and broth and just let the soup simmer. The high maintenance, if you can even call it that, part of the soup is done.

To finish, give your soup a quick blitz in the blender to puree it (or use an immersion blender, if you have one), splash in some cream and a lil’ salt and pepp treatment and boom. That’s all! An incredibly easy and delicious soup in an hour.

How To Make The Best Homemade Tomato Soup Every Time

Add flavorful herbs and spices. Basil is often found in tomato soup, which, yes, is DELICIOUS. However, other spices and herbs can be added to some flavor. Rosemary and thyme, chives and parsley, even a zippy cheese such as feta can level up your tomato soup.
Don’t forget the cream. Add in coconut milk, heavy cream, or butter to give your tomato soup a silky texture. We’re talking richness that tastes decadent without being overindulgent.
Add a drizzle, fresh zest, or dollop right before serving. This is going to take it riiiiiiight over the top. Some life-changing ideas: a spoonful of pesto, sour cream, fresh herbs, or lots of shredded cheese.

Tomato soup with cream being stirred in a white pot with a white spoon.

What To Serve With This Tomato Soup

I am going to have to ask you —> please make some extremely cheesy Parmesan garlic bread (recipe coming soon!) or grilled cheese or grilled sourdough bread or something, because what is tomato soup without the cheesy bread for dunking?

But with that being said, ultimately what is going to warm you to your toes and make you feel like a long nap on the couch is this simple homemade tomato soup. WITH BACON, remember. With bacon.

And if absolutely necessary to round things out a bit, here are a few green things to join the party as well:

Brussels and Kale Caesar with Cheesy Croutons (those croutons are basically a salad topper and soup dipper in one)
Toasted Bread and Parmesan Kale Salad (simple, zippy, cheesy, YUM)
Bacon and Brussels Sprout Salad (MORE BACON!)

Homemade tomato soup in a bowl with bread dipped in.

Alright! Today is your day to make simple homemade tomato soup. I can just feeeeeeel it.

It’s smoky, a little bit sweet, and just as creamy or not-creamy as you want it to be. It’s simple – ready in just under an hour, with MOST of that time being the part where you just gaze lovingly at the pot of simmering tomatoes and let the smells of carrots and onions and garlic and bacon wrap you up in their loveliness.

Cheers to your relaxing, comforting, hug-in-a-bowl tomato soup day!

Homemade Tomato Soup: FAQs

Why crush the tomatoes by hand?

The main goal here is to use higher quality tomatoes, and usually whole canned tomatoes are higher quality whereas pre-crushed tomatoes are made from bits and pieces of lower quality tomatoes. That being said, I’ve made this without hand-crushing the tomatoes (either using crushed canned tomatoes, or breaking apart the tomatoes in the pan with a spoon) and it’s still delicious.

How can I make this vegan?

Skip the bacon, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and skip the cream at the end (or throw a handful of cashews into the blender with the soup to make it creamy).

Can this soup be frozen?

Yes! It should keep in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Can this be made in the Instant Pot?

Yes! See recipe notes for instructions.

Can I omit the bacon?

It totally works to make this meat-free, but you’ll lose a bit of the flavor the bacon adds. Just add in some oil to sauté the veggies in the second step.

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Simple Homemade Tomato Soup

4.7 from 131 reviews

Author: Pinch of Yum, inspired by The New Classics cookbook
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

Simple Homemade Tomato Soup with carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and bacon for deliciously rich flavor. It’s super easy to make and is bound to be your next cold weather favorite!

Ingredients

Units

4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 carrots, chopped
half of a yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
4 cups chicken broth (more to thin out the soup at the end as needed)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 28–ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
cream (optional – to add at the end as desired)
kosher salt to taste (I like 1-2 teaspoons)

Instructions

Video

Fry the bacon in a large soup pot over medium low heat until bacon starts to get crispy and browned, about 5-8 minutes.
Add the carrots, onion, and garlic to the bacon in the pan; sauté for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are very aromatic and tender.
Add the tomato paste – stir for a few minutes until you can see/smell the tomato paste starting to brown and caramelize. Add the flour and stir for a minute or so.
Pour the tomatoes and their juice into a bowl and crush them with your hands. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, thyme, and bay leaf to the soup pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in batches and return to the pot. Add cream if you want. Season with salt. Look at that homemade tomato soup, you champ.

Equipment

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Notes

Instant Pot Instructions: Follow the recipe as-is using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, and then instead of simmering for 30 minutes, cook it on manual high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release last the end. Blend, add your cream, and serve!

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Category: Soups
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American