Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This creamy tomato basil soup is tomatoes pureed with onions, garlic, and cream. A hearty lunch or dinner option made in under 50 minutes!

Serve this comforting soup with grilled cheese or cheesy garlic bread for a restaurant-quality meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s packed with flavor and it all comes together in one pot.
• Makes the best leftovers.
• It’s creamy, sweet, savory, and absolutely delicious!
• Super easy to make.

Ingredient Notes

Tomatoes – A combination of canned crushed tomatoes and canned whole peeled tomatoes and their juice.

Chicken Stock – If you don’t have chicken stock on hand use water.

Fresh Basil – I highly recommend using fresh basil for this recipe, avoid using dried basil.

Red Crushed Pepper -It adds some heat! Simply omit it if you don’t like it.

Heavy Cream – Optional but makes it extra creamy and rich.

Sugar – Adds a sweet touch and helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I used granulated sugar but brown sugar works too.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Add 2 tbsp of butter to a large pot and let it melt over medium-high heat. Add the onions and let them soften for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red crushed pepper. Let it cook until fragrant.
2. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes and their juices, fresh basil, and chicken stock. Let it come to a boil.
3. Once it comes to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the baking soda, it will foam up, but that’s okay, continue stirring. The baking soda will help balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
5. Add the sugar and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender. Turn the heat back on and add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes, check for seasoning, garnish with fresh basil, if desired, and enjoy.

Top Tips And Flavor Variations

• I prefer using canned tomatoes rather than fresh tomatoes for many reasons. It’s easier and the tomatoes are much juicier. I always have canned tomatoes on hand, and it gives the soup a nice bright color. If you insist on using fresh tomatoes, you can roast them in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. before adding them to the pot.
• You can add carrots and potatoes for extra flavor and texture.
• If you prefer a runny and perfectly smooth tomato bisque, use a sieve after you blend it.
• Want to make it vegan? Omit the parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
• I like to make grilled cheese croutons and place it on top of the soup right before serving it. All you have to do is make a regular grilled cheese and cut it into cubes.

Storage

This creamy tomato basil soup stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to let it cool completely and then place it in an air-tight container before refrigerating. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it on the stovetop.

More Soup Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!