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!!
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
How to Make Tomato Soup
- Place tomatoes and peppers on a pan with olive oil and seasonings. Roast until you see a bit of char.
- Bring broth to a boil and add roasted tomatoes.
- 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).
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
- Garden Fresh Bruschetta
- Fresh Tomato Salad
- Pico de Gallo
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Roasted Tomatoes
- Tomato Pie
Did you enjoy this Fresh Tomato Soup? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Tomato Soup (Fresh Tomatoes)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ onion diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs basil/parsley/oregano
- fresh basil & parsley for serving
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese optional garnish
- ½ cup heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Wash and cut tomatoes (cut in half for smaller apricot sized tomatoes, cut larger tomatoes into quarters or eighths).
- Place tomatoes, garlic, onion, bell pepper, olive oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs on a large pan.
- 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 hand blender, blend mixture until smooth and creamy. Add heavy cream if using.
- Top with parmesan cheese, croutons or a drizzle of heavy cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Soup
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GREAT!! I did do a couple things difference. I sauté the onions and bell pepper with butter and oil then added garlic, added the stock and roasted tomatoes, then added a large stem of basil with leaves for 10 min’s as fresh basil can get bitter if left in. My kids like their soup smooth so I put it though a sieve then added some cream. SO YUMMY.
Can this be canned to use. For later in the winter? I have made this before and it is a great recipe!
Hi Helen, I have not done much canning myself or tried canning this recipe so I am not sure.
had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year so gave this a try. it turned out great. I also added a paplano pepper and it gave it a nice zippy taste. I only had cherry tomatoes so it is a little sweet.
can you freeze it prior to adding the cream?
fantastic recipe I have saved as I will be making it again. I too did not have fresh herbs and used dried and the flavor is great
This recipe would freeze well before adding the cream. I am so glad you enjoyed it Samantha!
Absolutely perfect! We had WAAAY too many tomatoes coming in all at once from the garden. Combine this with the fact that I’m totally useless when it comes to cooking, it didn’t take long for me to become burnt out on tomato sandwiches.
This recipe was exactly what the doctor ordered. It allowed me to avoid what would have been a lot of waste from the garden and it was easy enough that even I managed to make a very tasty soup.
I didn’t have any fresh herbs or cloves of garlic, but adding more dried herbs/spices worked out just fine. Fresh is always a bit better, but don’t pass up the chance to make this soup just because you’re missing a few items.
Perfect use for extra tomatoes from the garden. Full of flavor. I had fresh basil and oregano so I added that in with the broth instead of roasting with the tomatoes and risking drying it out.
I prefer it with the cream, my family pours it in soup sized mugs and adds the amount of cream they prefer, like adding cream to coffee.
I love that idea Molly! I am so glad you loved this recipe.
This recipe is perfect!! So much robust flavor and so natural tasting. I added 3/4 of a red pepper as you suggested in your options. I baked and broiled as your recipe said. There were some pieces that were just a bit burnt, and several that were browned. This was the key to the recipe. Such flavor. I read a lot of recipes before I picked this one, most included making a rue. I would rather use those carbs for something yummy…so I made croutons to have with the soup. Total success and one of the best recipes yet for first time try. Thank you!
Thank you so much for providing this delicious and easy recipe. I have made it twice in the past week, using tomatoes and garlic from our garden. I did add grated carrot which I sautéed with onion for a bit of sweetness. This is a great recipe which I will use again and again.
Very good tomato soup. I added more garlic and a bit more heavy whipping cream I love creamy soup. Great way to use fresh tomatoes from the garden.
I just made this soup. I played with taste in the end and it’s tastes good and fresh. The issue I am having is my red pepper left small skin slivers all through the soup and they are hard to chew. I tried to put it thought a fine mesh but that took the good bits out so I put it all back. Anyone have any thoughts?
You could roast/peel the peppers separately before adding to the soup if you’d like.
Love this soup and it’s so easy to make.
I am so glad you loved this soup Sandra!
So easy & healthy. Love this homemade soup. Tastes Great & has fresh veggies in it. Perfect for a family with little ones, especially if you are like me & try to stay away from processed foods.
So yummy and just the thing to use up some of my tomato harvest and herbs from my garden. Thanks for the recipe.
Awful. You cannot use a hand mixer for this recipe! Terrible instructions. I wasted my time and the taste was like hay because a hand mixer cannot cream anything! I do not have a blender so this was a waste of time.
This recipe does not call for a hand mixer, this recipe calls for a hand BLENDER. A mixer will not work for this recipe as the tomatoes need to be blended.
Holly this was the first time I have made Tomato soup with my own tomatoes, onions and peppers. I used your recipe and I really like the roasted charred taste. I ran everything through my blender and added fresh oregano since that is all I had. I was quite impressed with the favor and glad I found your recipe! Next batch I’m going to use some fresh Basil as you suggested.
Thank you for sharing
I see this serves 6. I can’t find what the serving size is. Thank you.
It’s 1/6th of the recipe, approximately 1 cup. It can vary a little bit based on the size of the veggies.
I have no idea what I did wrong. It was Full of skins and seeds even though I blended it thoroughly will a quality machine. I also found it rather bland compared to other tomato soups I’ve made.
Made this but it was super sweet. I did not add any sugar. Any way I can fix it? What should I add?
Instead of cream I added a little sour cream. It is excellent
That’s a great tip Pam! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I just made this and it turned out awesome I am going to make some more and can it without the cheese or milk which is how I like it best anyway thanks so much for sharing. I added a carrot to the roasting pan and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar just because I always add some whenever I use fresh tomatoes for canning. It is very tasty I won’t be buying canned again. Quick and easy to put together too.
You’re welcome Heidi! So happy to hear how much you love the soup!
Another trick for tart or acidic tomatoes is a 1/8-1/4 tsp. of baking soda. I use it in tomato sauce to counteract some of the acidity. My Italian American mother in law taught me that one. :-)
Do I add the garlic cloves in the soup as well?
Hi Michelle, yes all of the roasted vegetables, herbs, and garlic are added to the soup pot in step 5. Enjoy!
Easy and delicious recipe!
Hi, I don’t have a hand blender, will a bullet or a regular blender work?
Yes, a regular blender will work. Ensure the lid is loose so steam can escape or the lid can burst off. I would not recommend a bullet as the steam cannot escape.