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Simple Homemade Tomato Soup

151 reviews / 4.8 average

Simple Homemade Tomato Soup with carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and bacon for deliciously rich flavor. It’s super easy to make and is bound to be your next cold weather favorite!

Hallooooo, fall!

And hallo, tomato soup. Yes, it’s soup season, although, let’s be honest – I would not be sad if I ended up eating this for 12 out of 12 months of the year. This homemade tomato soup could love me all year long.

I based this recipe off of the cream of tomato soup recipe in The New Classics cookbook (affiliate link) by Saveur and yes I’ve essentially read this cookbook cover to cover. Reading a cookbook like this cover to cover essentially means cooking it cover to cover, which is possibly the best thing that ever did happen to me.


In This Post: Everything You Need For Tomato Soup


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Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

Why You’Ll Love This Simple Homemade Tomato Soup

Can I blow your mind for a second? This homemade tomato soup starts with bacon. B-a-c-o-n. Tomato soup // bacon // it just works. These are the delicious ways in which Saveur inspires.

Does it absolutely NEED the bacon? Yes! Just kidding, you could skip it if you have to. But it adds such a subtle smokiness and richness that you didn’t even know you were missing from tomato soup until now. That secret little depth that will have you saying “why is this so good?!” over and over in between cheesy bread dunks.

The velvety texture that you get from the blending and the drizzle of cream also just cannot be beat. And it really is so easy to bring together this beautiful little bowl of comfort which is always an absolute win in any book. Yay simplicity! Yay deep, deep deliciousness.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what else we’re working with:

  • Some fresh veggies and aromatics like carrots, onion, and garlic.
  • Yummy herbs like thyme and bay leaf.
  • Lots of tomato goodness thanks to a delicious can of (HAND-CRUSHED) San Marzano.
  • Cream. Because, of course.

Ohhhmygosh, the smells that will happen. I am having a hard time imagining anything more comforting than being in my kitchen experiencing the simmer-smells of this simple homemade tomato soup in progress.

Veggies sautéing for tomato soup

Let’s Make Something Delicious

Start this soup by crisping up some bacon in a large pot or, even better, a Dutch oven.

Once things are looking crispy, toss in your cut-up veggies. Give things a little stir to coat everything in the bacon grease.

Plop in some tomato paste with a little bit of flour and watch things start to carmelize. Okay, gosh. This soup, folks! We’re not even done and it’s so good!

Pour your can of San Marzano tomatoes in along with some dried spices and broth and just let the soup simmer. The high maintenance, if you can even call it that, part of the soup is done.

To finish, give your soup a quick blitz in the blender to puree it (or use an immersion blender, if you have one), splash in some cream and a lil’ salt and pepp treatment and boom. That’s all! An incredibly easy and delicious soup in an hour.

How To Make The Best Homemade Tomato Soup Every Time

  1. Add flavorful herbs and spices. Basil is often found in tomato soup, which, yes, is DELICIOUS. However, other spices and herbs can be added to some flavor. Rosemary and thyme, chives and parsley, even a zippy cheese such as feta can level up your tomato soup.
  2. Don’t forget the cream. Add in coconut milk, heavy cream, or butter to give your tomato soup a silky texture. We’re talking richness that tastes decadent without being overindulgent.
  3. Add a drizzle, fresh zest, or dollop right before serving. This is going to take it riiiiiiight over the top. Some life-changing ideas: a spoonful of pesto, sour cream, fresh herbs, or lots of shredded cheese.
Tomato soup with cream being stirred in a white pot with a white spoon.

What To Serve With This Tomato Soup

I am going to have to ask you —> please make some extremely cheesy Parmesan garlic bread (recipe coming soon!) or grilled cheese or grilled sourdough bread or something, because what is tomato soup without the cheesy bread for dunking?

But with that being said, ultimately what is going to warm you to your toes and make you feel like a long nap on the couch is this simple homemade tomato soup. WITH BACON, remember. With bacon.

And if absolutely necessary to round things out a bit, here are a few green things to join the party as well:

Homemade tomato soup in a bowl with bread dipped in.

Alright! Today is your day to make simple homemade tomato soup. I can just feeeeeeel it.

It’s smoky, a little bit sweet, and just as creamy or not-creamy as you want it to be. It’s simple – ready in just under an hour, with MOST of that time being the part where you just gaze lovingly at the pot of simmering tomatoes and let the smells of carrots and onions and garlic and bacon wrap you up in their loveliness.

Cheers to your relaxing, comforting, hug-in-a-bowl tomato soup day!

Homemade Tomato Soup: FAQs

Why crush the tomatoes by hand?

The main goal here is to use higher quality tomatoes, and usually whole canned tomatoes are higher quality whereas pre-crushed tomatoes are made from bits and pieces of lower quality tomatoes. That being said, I’ve made this without hand-crushing the tomatoes (either using crushed canned tomatoes, or breaking apart the tomatoes in the pan with a spoon) and it’s still delicious.

How can I make this vegan?

Skip the bacon, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and skip the cream at the end (or throw a handful of cashews into the blender with the soup to make it creamy).

Can this soup be frozen?

Yes! It should keep in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Can this be made in the Instant Pot?

Yes! See recipe notes for instructions.

Can I omit the bacon?

It totally works to make this meat-free, but you’ll lose a bit of the flavor the bacon adds. Just add in some oil to sauté the veggies in the second step.

I’m short on time! How can I make this even faster?

This recipe is a little more of a labor of love, but if you need something super fast – I’d recommend skipping the bacon step, buying pre-chopped veggies, or making this 5-Ingredient Tomato Soup instead.

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Homemade tomato soup in a bowl.

Simple Homemade Tomato Soup


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 151 reviews

Description

Simple Homemade Tomato Soup with carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and bacon for deliciously rich flavor. It’s super easy to make and is bound to be your next cold weather favorite!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • half of a yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 4 cups chicken broth (more to thin out the soup at the end as needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • one 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons cream (optional – to add at the end as desired)
  • kosher salt to taste (I like 1-2 teaspoons)

Instructions

  1. Fry the bacon in a large soup pot over medium low heat until bacon starts to get crispy and browned, about 5-8 minutes.
  2. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic to the bacon in the pan; sauté for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are very aromatic and tender.
  3. Add the tomato paste – stir for a few minutes until you can see/smell the tomato paste starting to brown and caramelize. Add the flour and stir for a minute or so.
  4. Pour the tomatoes and their juice into a bowl and crush them with your hands. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, thyme, and bay leaf to the soup pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in batches and return to the pot. Add cream if you want. Season with salt. Look at that homemade tomato soup, you champ.

Equipment

Notes

Instant Pot Instructions: Follow the recipe as-is using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, and then instead of simmering for 30 minutes, cook it on manual high pressure for 15 minutes with a quick release last the end. Blend, add your cream, and serve! 

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Category: Soups
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: homemade tomato soup, tomato soup recipe, tomato soup with bacon, tomato soup, grilled cheese

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476 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Best tomato soup I’ve ever had & first I’ve ever made from scratch! I add a bit of Tony’s & red pepper flakes to zest it up a bit & it’s phenomenal! Even my picky kiddo loved it with some goldfish crackers & a grilled cheese sandwich!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This is the best tomato soup I’ve ever had! I’ve been searching for a good one and I finally found it! The bacon adds a really nice flavor and texture to this soup. This recipe is very easy and simple (not a lot of prep) . I did add a few shakes of red pepper flakes to add a little bit of a kick to it, amazing!!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I made this soup with home grown tomatoes and onion from my garden. The flavor is absolutely incredible and I will be making it again! My question for everyone is:

    The texture is a little stringy, even after blending. Should I try to skin the tomatoes? What recs do yall have for me?

    Thanks!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I always blanch and peel my tomatoes before adding to a soup or sauce recipe. That cuts down on being stringy.

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I’m laughing a little bit because this recipe is “Simple Tomato Soup” but the recipe has 12 ingredients and takes an hour to prepare. This recipe is really tasty, savory, delicious…. but I definitely wouldn’t name it simple.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      This is actually super simple. The only thing easier would to be buying store bought. A recipe that only takes about an hour and yields such a good product is great in a pinch!

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    So good! Made this for my daughter who just had a baby. It was pure comfort food. We did grilled cheese on the side, but certainly nothing else was needed. It filling enough to stand alone. Was a little leery of the bacon but am sold!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I came here to ask the same thing. Did you try it, Barb? My 6 year old requests this soup often. I’d like to have it more readily available by canning it this year.

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This soup gets 5 stars from me.
    It was so delicious!
    I used San Mariano tomatoes with basil and I added oregano along with spices recipe called for. Chicken both was low sodium.I did add 1/2 small jar of roasted red bell pepper. Even before my recipe tweaks this soup was fantastic!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This soup is amazing! I would just make a note in the recipe to remove the bay leaf before pureeing. It is such a bummer to forget and have little chunks of bay leaf in the soup!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Yep, been there done that. Leaves little hard pieces in the soup.
      Otherwise this soup has been my go to for a while now. Yum.

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Making this tomorrow for dinner and totally bought 128 oz of whole tomatoes. Glad y’all said something! BUT with the other 4+ star reviews, I am looking forward to dinner tomorrow night! Will post review after cooking!

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This is now my GO TO recipe for tomato soup! The first time I made it I left the bacon in while I pureed everything together along with the tomato seeds and you could feel these little pieces that did not puree. So now I strain the tomatoes first and remove the bacon for the very end. So good with a little cream mixed in! Also, I only use San Marzano tomatoes. One time I made two batches of this soup, one with domestic (Canadian) tinned tomatoes and the other with Italian San Marzanos and their WAS a difference in taste. A little more expensive but worth it.

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I am amazed by this recipe site. It’s like someone heard every compliment and complaint I’ve ever made about sites and said “now we can make the perfect one”. You are succinct when needed. Great photos. Useful nutrition info. Easy navigation. Great choices. Very simple treatments using good ingredients. Yada yada yada. I can’t wait to try them.

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hi,
    The tomato soup sounds great. You may wish to edit by asking readers to remove the bay leaf before using the immersion blender. That’s all—nice blog.

    B

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    It’s a good recipe, I would recommend an old school potato masher once you put the whole tomatoes in the pot and use an immersion blender rather than remove from the pot, Both are timesavers and you’re washing a lot less bowls and blenders!

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I’ve made this soup twice. My family loves your recipe. So great for today——it really feels like fall. We served it with grilled cheese sandwiches, all so delicious!

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    The addition of bacon in this recipe is what drew me in. Up until now my three kids only cautiously dipped corners of grilled cheese into their tomato soup. I’ve tried several recipes. This one was a home run. Spoons were used by all three children!!
    My only swap was gluten free sweet rice flour for the regular flour. I’ve found this to be a great alternative for thickening soups to make them GF for our Celiac son.
    We will be adding this recipe to our soup rotation. Thank you!

  15. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This sounds delicious, but I’m not sure about the 69% of our daily sodium in each serving – that seems like a lot for a cup of soup! If you can help me think of way to reduce that, I would be so grateful!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I use less bacon, less salt, and low or no sodium versions of tomatoes, chicken broth, etc. and I got used to it. There’s no magic wand. Recipes using Asian sauces are the biggest challenge.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Hi Nancy! We’ve never made this reipe with fresh tomatoes, but I’m sure it’d work. I think you’d first want to roast the tomatoes with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

  16. Pinch of Yum Logo

    THANK YOU HEATHER! I just put 128 ounces of tomatoes on my grocery list! I thought that was the recipe…….