Homemade Tomato Soup is a classic soup recipe made with fresh ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs blended with a hint of cream. 

The tomatoes are roasted with a hint of garlic to bring out the natural flavor and then blended to a creamy finish. Velvety rich, jam-packed with flavor, and easy to make!!

Overhead picture of tomato soup in pot

Homemade is Best

The best tomato soup recipe is simple and made with fresh ingredients just like this recipe.

This easy soup can be prepared in under an hour making it the perfect weeknight meal!

TOMATOES FOR SOUP
Any kind of tomatoes will work but of course use the ripest, reddest ones you can find as they’ll have the best (and sweetest) flavor. In a pinch you can use canned tomatoes, they won’t have the same flavor as roasted tomatoes but are still great. Use a portion of canned fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.

The tomatoes are roasted along with a bit of red bell pepper. The red pepper adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. Cooked carrots will also work (I add shredded carrots to marinara for sweetness too).

How Many Tomatoes in a Pound

Of course, this varies based on the variety of tomato but to give you a general idea here are the approximates. This recipe is forgiving so it is ok if there’s a little bit more or less.

1 lb of tomatoes is approximately (remember you need 3lbs for this recipe):

  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 20 cherry tomatoes

Tomatoes and garlic on a baking pan

How to Make Tomato Soup

  1. Place tomatoes and peppers on a pan with olive oil and seasonings. Roast until you see a bit of char.
  2. Bring broth to a boil and add roasted tomatoes.
  3. Blend using a hand blender until smooth & creamy.

Top with parmesan cheese or a drizzle of heavy cream if you prefer.

If Your Tomatoes Are Too Tart

This recipe calls for heavy cream which is optional.  I don’t generally add the cream, however, sometimes tomatoes can be very tart (depending on the variety) so the addition of extra cream can help smooth out the flavor.

Other additions for a tart soup include a shredded carrot cooked with the mixture, pinch of sugar, a couple of pats of butter or some coconut milk (make sure it’s unsweetened).

Fresh Tomato Soup in a white bowl

We often eat tomato soup with a classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich for dipping or topped with croutons and parmesan cheese!

What to Eat with Tomato Soup:

A classic grilled cheese (or Grilled Cheese Roll-Ups) and tomato soup is definitely a favorite!

More Fresh Tomato Recipes

Did you enjoy this Fresh Tomato Soup? Leave a rating and a comment below!

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Fresh Tomato Soup in a white bowl
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Homemade Tomato Soup (Fresh Tomatoes)

Roasted garden fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs create the perfect simple tomato soup.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 3 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • ½ onion diced
  • ½ red bell pepper diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese optional garnish
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream optional
  • thinly sliced fresh basil leaves for serving, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Wash the tomatoes, or peel them if desired (see notes). Cut smaller apricot sized tomatoes in half and cut larger tomatoes into quarters or eighths.
  • Place tomatoes, garlic, onion, bell pepper, olive oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  • Roast 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil and broil 3-4 minutes or until some of the tomatoes get a little bit of char color on them.
  • Bring chicken broth to a boil, add tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Using a blender or hand blender to blend the mixture until smooth and creamy. Add heavy cream if using.
  • Top with parmesan cheese, croutons or a drizzle of heavy cream.

Video

Notes

A note on peeling tomatoes: I personally do not peel the tomatoes and usually blend using a quality hand blender or high powered blender. If using a regular blender, you can peel the tomatoes if desired or strain the soup through cheesecloth if you'd like.
To peel tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Cut a small "X" into the bottom of each tomato and place in the boiling water for 30 seconds and then transfer to the ice water to cool. The skins will easily peel.
I generally add some cream if the tomatoes are extra tart, most often nice ripe tomatoes won't require the cream.  Taste the soup once blended and decide if you'd like to add the cream.  Stir in a little at a time.
Nutrition information does not include cream or toppings.
4.95 from 695 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 137 | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2230IU | Vitamin C: 50.9mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Fresh Tomato Soup in a bowl with croutons and a title
Fresh Tomato Soup in a pot with writing
Fresh Tomato Soup in a white bowl with writing
Fresh Tomato Soup in a bowl and in a pot with writing

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Recipe is great. TONS of notes and after taste from the herbs which is awesome. Ended up having to use 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream and extra salt and pepper, but every crowd is different. Awesome recipe, thank you for sharing!!!5 stars

    1. I would suggest roasting them the same way. You’ll end up with more tomato skins so once they’re roasted, you can pick some of them out if you’d like using tongs—they should be fairly easy to remove. Cherry tomatoes can have a bit more of a concentrated tangy flavor so you may need to add a tiny pinch of sugar to balance. Let us know how it goes!

    2. I used three pounds of frozen cherry tomatoes they did extract a lot of liquid after roasting. I put soup in blender then food mill to extract the numerous seeds! Came out awesome! Thank you for recipe!5 stars

  2. Did my own little touch with measurement due to what we prefer (example- more basil) and oh this soup is so yummy. It was my first time making tomato soup and I am so proud of how it turned out and the recipe was easy to follow.5 stars

  3. Perhaps our tomatoes were not as great tasting and I wasn’t able to roast them in a big enough oven. I will try the recipe again and try to fix these two issues.

    I added some half’n’half and it actually brought out more of the tomato flavor.4 stars

  4. Made this with a mix of ripe tomatoes from our final harvest of the season. Just left cherry tomatoes whole but cut the larger varieties. Kept everything the same but reduced to 2 pounds tomatoes and a little less broth. Delicious! Thank you. Love your recipes!5 stars

  5. made for dinner with grilled cheese sandwich and it was delicious. I also added a sprinkle of crushed red peppers.

  6. I made this soup and it was delicious. The only thing was the acidity so I added a pinch of baking soda, stirred it in while it bubbled up until it went back down. It was perfect!! You don’t taste the baking soda at all and you have to make sure you have a big enough pot before adding baking soda to allow for the bubbling up.5 stars

    1. This was the best soup i’ve ever made. i love the slight texture when leaving in the seeds and peels. the only change I made was to use fresh basil, about 2 tablespoons. served with sourdough & mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches…. divine! thank you!

  7. I halved the recipe except used the full recipe amounts of onion, garlic and red bell pepper and it was perfect.5 stars

  8. Is the nutritional value based off of one serving? That’s the only thing that’s confusing to me. Otherwise this soup turned out amazing!!!!!! I roasted the veggies instead of pan frying and added some extra stuff. Would definitely make again with the garden tomatoes that need to be used up!

  9. This soup turned out amazing! I had a freezer packed full of tomatoes from my garden, now I know what I’m doing with them.
    Thank you for yet another awesome recipe 5 stars

  10. from your directions, pics & video, it appears that I do not peel, core or seed the tomatoes. Am I correct? I would love to make this soup recipe since my plants produced lots of heirloom, roma & some other variety of tomatoes this season. Thank you!