Introduction
This fresh tomato soup recipe blender can be made with either roasted fresh tomatoes or canned tomato paste. It has just 5 simple ingredients and has a subtly sweet and creamy flavor. It can be made from start to finish in less than an hour, but tastes like it simmered all day. I won’t tell, if you don’t!
Why this easy tomato soup recipe works
Homemade tomato soup with roasted fresh tomatoes is a classic soup recipe made with fresh ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs blended with a generous amount of cream. The homegrown tomatoes are roasted with garlic cloves to bring out the natural flavor and then blended to a creamy finish. The result is a velvety rich texture that is packed with flavor. Not to mention, it’s so easy to make!!
Sometimes, I make this fresh tomato soup during tomato season when I can use fresh garden tomatoes, but more often than not my favorite time of year to make it is during the colder months. When I am making homemade soup out of season, I have to get creative with a mix of fresh ingredients, frozen, or even canned.
Easy Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh garden whole tomatoes (or 1 quart of canned tomato or 2-16oz cans of tomato) (or 1 quart of canned tomato or 2-16oz cans of tomato)
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 red pepper cored and seeded
- 1 small onion peeled and quarters
- 1 small acorn squash halved and seeded
- 1/4 cup butter
- splash olive oil
- 2 fresh garlic cloves or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3-6 Tbsp sugar to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or olive oil. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half for small sized tomatoes, cut larger tomatoes into quarters or even eighths.
- Place the acorn squash on a tray and roast for 30-40 minutes.
- Place the tomatoes, onion, pepper and peeled whole garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until parts look slightly charred, about 25 minutes. I always rotate the pan and give it a stir after the first 15 minutes. Be sure to remove the pepper skin if it blackens during roasting.
- Pour the roasted tomatoes, pepper, onion, and garlic (plus the juices!) into a Dutch oven. Add the baking soda and stir. This will cause the soup to foam a little, but it will go back to normal in a few minutes.
- Add the water, butter, cream, and sugar. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth and creamy. If you like a chunkier soup, leave some of the pieces a little bigger.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- A great way to serve this hot soup is with parmesan cheese, cheese sandwiches, homemade croutons, or a splash of cream. I also like to garnish it with fresh basil leaves when I have it.
Notes
- The baking soda will affect the pH of the soup and will stop the cream from curdling.
Nutrition
Helpful Equipment
To make this delicious soup, you will need a Dutch oven, baking sheet, and immersion blender. If you do not have a Dutch oven you can use a normal stove top large pot to make this great recipe.
It is recommended that the Dutch oven be enamel coated if possible, otherwise it may change the taste of the soup. This will result from the reaction between the soup’s acidity and the material of the pan.
The baking sheet that I use has small sides to it. It will be wise to use one with some sort of side, so that it catches the juices that are released from the tomatoes during the roasting process. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender or food processor instead.
Tips and Troubleshooting
If your tomato soup is too acidic you can simply add more cream or even add a little sugar to it to help reduce the acidic flavor. Lastly, you can also add carrots to the soup to reduce its acidity.
It is very important to use ripe tomatoes when making this soup. If you can not buy ripe tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes since they are usually picked and canned during their prime ripe days.
If your tomato soup is too thin for your liking, you can add some tomato paste, powdered dehydrated tomato skins, or let it boil down.
Serving Suggestions
Variations for this recipe
Tomato Basil Soup Recipe: add 1/2 cup of fresh basil at the end of cooking
Tomato Tarragon: Add 1 teaspoon dried tarragon at the beginning of cooking
Tomato Florentine: Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning at the beginning of cooking, then add 2 cups of fresh chopped spinach at the end of cooking.
Tomato & Pasta: Add 1 pound of cooked ditalini or alphabet pasta to make homemade creamy tomato spaghetti-os.
How to store/refrigerate/freeze/thaw
Creamy tomato soup is best if eaten within 3 days, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat the soup, place it into a small pan on the stove over medium heat and warm until desired temperature is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I make tomato soup taste better?
You can experiment with the use of herbs and spices, such as basil or red pepper flakes, in your soup. You can also experiment with using different ratios of the veggies you love. We enjoy garlic in our family so I always add a few extra garlic cloves to our soup. This will change the flavor and may make it more appetizing to you. - What is the best dish to eat tomato soup with?
Tomato soup pairs very well with a grilled cheese sandwich or crackers. You can also enjoy tomato soup with noodles, by cooking up some small pasta noodles and adding it to the soup.
3 thoughts on “Homemade Tomato Soup with Fresh Tomatoes”
I made this soup today. Fairly straightforward recipe and easy to follow. I did replace 2 cups of the cream for whole milk, and the acorn squash for a Kuboka squash. I ended up adding about 1/8 cup of tomato paste to thicken and add some more of the tomato flavor I look for, and it took a bit of salt as well… but woohoo, it was really very tasty and good. I’m hoping it freezes well because it made more than a 6-serving pot. LOL
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for taking the time to make our recipes. Tomato soup is definitely a recipe that is made according to ones palate. Using the milk instead of cream is most likely the reason it didn’t thicken as thick as you would like it. When cream is heated, it adds thickness to the soup.
I also love how versatile this recipe is when it comes to using squash. You really can use any squash for it.