This homemade tomato soup recipe starts with homegrown tomatoes simmered with onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Served with fresh basil and chopped bacon, it’s a nutritious, comforting dinner or lunch.
Every year I have big plans for tomato season on the farm. And just about every year, they end up running wild.
That’s just what real life looks like sometimes. I think people often want to start a garden but feel overwhelmed with trying to learn a new skill or wanting everything to be perfect.
Well, I’m far from the perfect gardener, and yet we still enjoy so many lovely fruits and veggies. We get loads and loads of tomatoes, even if the suckers aren’t pruned or some don’t get staked at the right time.
Don’t be afraid to start… just start. You can even grow tomatoes in pots on a balcony. It’s worth it. Homegrown food always tastes better.
When you have loads of fresh, ripe tomatoes, you need to make this fresh tomato soup recipe. It’s such a cozy and filling soup. If you’ve never made tomato soup with fresh tomatoes, you need to try it.
Canned tomatoes might get the job done, but the taste is entirely different — there simply won’t be that bright, fresh, depth of flavor.
Why you will love this fresh tomato soup:
- Made from fresh summer tomatoes and the robust combination of garlic and onions, this soup is deliciously rich and bursting with flavor.
- It is a healthy and perfect way to use up all those fresh garden tomatoes.
- Even with prepping the vegetables, this recipe can be made up quickly enough for a busy weeknight meal.
- Tomato soup is a cost-efficient recipe made from simple ingredients that can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner and throughout the week!
- This recipe can easily be adapted to other dietary needs. You can make it vegan by using vegetable broth or make it gluten-free by leaving out the flour entirely or substituting it with a cornstarch and water slurry.
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Tips:
- If you don’t grow your own tomatoes, check your local farmers market.
- If you have a food processor, you can also chop up your tomatoes in there.
- An immersion blender makes this homemade soup even easier. If you don’t have one, use a regular blender and process the hot soup in smaller batches. Take care to release the steam as you blend, placing a towel over the lid so you don’t burn yourself. Don’t overfill the blender!
- When making the roux, cook for several minutes to remove any flour taste at the end.
- Caramelizing the onions will add loads of flavor, so don’t skip this step.
- You can add a handful of fresh basil to turn it into tomato basil soup, add a little sugar for some extra sweetness, or experiment with other spices for a personalized flavor.
- Double the recipe to have easy lunches throughout the week.
What Can I Serve With Tomato Soup?
- Sourdough bread or rolls
- Flatbread
- Sourdough grilled cheese
- Garden salad with croutons
- Sourdough cheddar waffles
- BLT – We like to make our BLTs on sourdough cheddar waffles.
- Biscuits
- Bagels
- Sandwiches
- Baked potatoes – Load them up with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Olive oil or butter – To sauté the onion and garlic.
Yellow onion – Diced
Garlic – Fresh or powdered, though fresh will add the most flavor.
Italian seasoning – Dried or fresh
Einkorn flour – You can also use all-purpose flour.
Tomatoes – Any variety will work, but I like San Marzano tomatoes.
Chicken broth or vegetable broth – I like to make my own chicken stock in the Instant Pot.
Salt – Sea salt to boost all of the fresh flavors.
Black pepper – Freshly ground
Extra toppings (optional) – Crumbled bacon, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, homemade croutons, fresh basil, or even a drizzle of heavy cream to make a creamy tomato soup.
Tools you may need
Large pot or dutch oven
Garlic press – one of my favorite tools in the kitchen
Cutting board
Knife
How To Make Tomato Soup From Scratch
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add diced yellow onion and oil.
Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to become translucent. I like to brown the onions a bit to add even more flavor to the soup.
Using a garlic press, add the garlic cloves to the onions. You can also use a knife to finely dice the garlic.
Add herbs and cook one more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic, stirring well for another minute or two. This creates a roux, which helps thicken the soup. Make sure to cook the roux to remove any flour taste at the end.
Add in chopped tomatoes, chicken or veggie broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend with an immersion blender. This is the easiest way, but you can also ladle the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, working in batches and pouring back into the pot. Cover the blender lid with a kitchen towel to help prevent burning your hands when the steam escapes and to reduce the risk of the soup spurting out the top.
Ladle into bowls and add any toppings you would like. Cooked bacon, croutons, cheese, and fresh herbs are some of our favorites.
Storage
Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm in a saucepan over low heat to serve.
You can store cooled, leftover tomato soup in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for several months. Thaw enough to release from the container, then transfer to a saucepan to reheat.
FAQ
This comes down to preference, so I don’t peel my tomatoes. I like to use the whole tomato and all of its nutrition. If you don’t like the texture, you can certainly peel them first!
Yes, just omit the flour. The soup will be a little runnier, but still delicious. You also may be able to thicken it with a cornstarch slurry, adding it after the soup has been blended. This has worked well for me in the past with other recipes.
Fresh herbs are a great way to give more depth to tomato soup. Adding cooked bacon or a dollop of sour cream enhances the flavors and adds richness. Something else that is delicious is adding a little bit of sugar. It can help balance out the acidity of the dish.
You can thicken tomato soup by adding flour to the onion and oil mixture to create a roux. For those that are gluten-sensitive, you could substitute einkorn flour. Those who cannot tolerate any gluten may be able to use cornstarch to thicken the soup.
Find more of my favorite soups:
- Homemade Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi Soup
- Chicken Marsala Soup
- Sausage Sauerkraut Soup
- Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper And Tomato Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
- Hearty And Healthy Potato Soup Recipe
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.
Fresh Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning , or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon einkorn flour, can also use all-purpose flour
- 10 medium tomatoes, about 2 lbs, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh basil, crumbled bacon (optional)
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add diced yellow onion and oil.
- Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions begin to become translucent. I like to brown the onions a bit to add even more flavor to the soup.
- Using a garlic press, add the garlic cloves to the onions. You can also use a knife to finely dice the garlic.
- Add herbs and cook one more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic, stirring well for another minute or two. This creates a roux, which helps thicken the soup. Make sure to cook the roux to remove any flour taste at the end.
- Add in chopped tomatoes, chicken or veggie broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer for 15 minutes.
- Blend with an immersion blender or regular blender*.
- Ladle into bowls and add any toppings you would like. Cooked bacon, croutons, cheese, and fresh herbs are some of our favorites.
Notes
- When adding flour to create the roux, make sure to cook the roux to remove any flour taste at the end.
- *Using an immersion blender is the easiest way, but you can also ladle the soup into a blender and blend smooth, working in batches and pouring back into the pot. Cover the blender lid with a towel to help prevent burning hands and reduce the risk of the soup spurting out the top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The recipe wasn’t bad, but I followed it exactly, and it came out tasting like pizza/spaghetti sauce and not the tomato soup I was going for. I didn’t realize the tomato soups I’ve had before always had cream in them so I think this was the biggest difference! If you are looking for a creamy tomato soup this recipe won’t give you that. If you are in fact looking for the pizza/spaghetti sauce flavor then this will work for you!