This easy tomato soup doesn't require sauteing, pureeing, and straining, yet it's wonderfully creamy and delicious.
Ready in just 30 minutes, it makes the perfect lunch and is also wonderful as a light weeknight dinner.
The first time I made this recipe, I wanted to make soup, but I wanted it to be easy. Truly easy! I didn’t feel like sauteing shallots, cooking tomatoes, peeling, pureeing, straining... It's not that complex recipes are bad. It's just that I usually don't have the patience for them. I'm a lazy cook!
This soup is truly easy to make and it's so good! It's thick, creamy, and delicious. A truly comforting soup. And when served with grilled cheese toasts, it really takes one back to one's childhood!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty, comforting tomato soup. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Canned tomato puree: Try to use an Italian brand if you can. They're sweeter and less acidic. See the discussion below.
Chicken broth: I use regular, as I find that low-sodium is bland. When I happen to have homemade chicken broth in the fridge, I use that.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use.
Spices: Garlic granules, onion granules, paprika, and ground cumin.
Sweetener: Optional, just a little and only if you use American canned tomatoes which tend to be quite acidic.
Heavy cream: As an alternative, you can use well-blended full-fat canned coconut milk.
Instructions
Making this tomato soup is truly easy, especially compared with traditional recipes. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Add the tomato puree, chicken broth, and spices to a stockpot. Stir to combine.
- Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cream, and keep the pot on the stove just until the soup is heated through, about 1-2 more minutes.
Expert tip
I use either Cento tomato puree or Pomi strained tomatoes in this recipe. Both are Italian brands. Cento is easier to find in regular supermarkets. They are sweeter and less acidic than American brands.
If using an American brand such as Muir Glen Tomato Puree, you might need to add a small amount of a sweetener to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
Frequently asked questions
In addition to onion and garlic powders, I like to add cumin and paprika to this soup.
Admittedly somewhat unusual, this combination of spices and flavors is warm and wonderful. And it doesn't overwhelm the soup. It simply enhances it.
Not necessarily. Fresh tomatoes do not always taste so good. Especially in winter, when most of us tend to make soup. Winter tomatoes are often pale, mealy, and flavorless.
Arguably, you're better off using high-quality canned tomatoes than using flavorless fresh tomatoes. And by the way, I also use canned pumpkin in this easy pumpkin soup. It's wonderful!
Yes, you can. But sour cream can curdle. So remove it from the fridge when you start making the recipe to allow it to reach room temperature.
Add it to the soup off-heat once you're done cooking - don't heat it as you would heat heavy cream.
When reheating leftovers, take extra care to do so on very low heat.
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- Experiment with spices. Interesting options include dried oregano and dried thyme.
- You can use vegetable stock instead of chicken, although I feel that chicken broth provides a more flavorful base.
- The sweetener is optional. Taste for yourself and decide.
- You can use well-stirred full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
Serving suggestions
Like probably everyone else in America, I really like to eat this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. So I often serve it with a keto grilled cheese sandwich. Other tasty options include:
- Gluten-free focaccia
- Cheese muffins
- Cheddar biscuits
- Cheese crackers (pictured here next to the soup)
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them very gently in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
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Recipe card
Easy Tomato Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree (just pureed tomatoes, no other ingredients)*
- 2 cups chicken broth (not low-sodium)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (less or more, depending on the products you use)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon onion granules
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon sweetener (optional, taste and decide)
- ½ cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together the tomato puree, chicken broth, and seasonings in a large stockpot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Whisk again, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Lower the heat to low. Taste the soup and decide if you’d like to add more salt or a small amount of sweetener.
- Stir in the heavy cream and continue cooking, uncovered, over low heat just until heated through, 1-2 more minutes. Do not allow the soup to boil.
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NOTES
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NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 