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How to Make the Best Homemade Tomato Soup with 5 Tips

Use fresh or canned Italian plum tomatoes and these tips for the best tomato soup ever.

October 16, 2021 By Mary's Nest 2 Comments

How to Make the Best Homemade Tomato Soup with 5 Tips

Watch the How to Make Tomato Soup recipe video

Learn how to make homemade tomato soup with these 5 tips. You’ll have delicious soup every time!

*Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My videos and blog posts may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay.

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Homemade Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is one of those soups that is so comforting no matter what time of the year, and this easy-to-make soup is especially welcome when the temperatures start to dip.

In its simplest form, you can make tomato soup with just three ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Onions
  • Tomatoes

Oh, and yes, you will need water, so technically, that would be a fourth ingredient.

But why not add just a few more ingredients to make your tomato soup really special? I share these additional ingredients and tips with you in this recipe. And the added ingredients are pantry staples, so chances are you already have them on hand.

Tip #1 – Don’t Skimp on the Butter

When making tomato soup, you can use olive oil, but nothing will give you the smooth taste and mouthfeel that butter will provide. Using butter is especially important to help cut the acidic flavor of the tomatoes.

Tip #2 – Onions Are a Must for Tomato Soup

To make sure that you have a sweet tomato soup and not one that is tart and acidic in flavor, use plenty of onions. Vidalia or Texas Sweet onions are excellent choices, but any yellow onion variety will work. And while we are focused on the aromatics, be sure to add some garlic too!

Both the onions and the garlic will soften and melt in the soup pot and create a rich sweetness that will provide a delightful flavor to your soup.

If you are hesitant to add garlic, please try it once. Trust me. The garlic will mellow to a special sweetness that will raise the flavor of your soup from ordinary to extraordinary!

Tip #3 – A Little Sweetener Goes a Long Way

Although the butter helps soften the acidic flavor of the tomatoes, and the onions and garlic add a nice bit of sweetness to the tomato soup, a little bit more sweetener can go a long way to achieving the perfect flavor.

What’s the best way to sweeten tomato soup? I like to use a whole sugar, like sucanat, which is dried sugar cane juice. Unlike white sugar, sucanat still contains all its vitamins and minerals. But don’t worry. If you are at the beginning of your journey from transitioning from a processed foods kitchen to a traditional foods kitchen, you can certainly use white sugar.

Now keep in mind, you don’t need much. A tablespoon of your sweetener will be perfect.

Tip #4 – Use Bone Broth as the Liquid Base for Tomato Soup

Yes, you can certainly use water as the base liquid for making tomato soup. But you can improve both the flavor and the nutrition of your soup by using bone broth as your liquid.

Bone broth is high in gelatin, which is another benefit for using it when you make any soup, but especially tomato soup. Gelatin is very soothing to the digestive tract, and using it in your homemade tomato soup will give you a corresponding soothing soup instead of a highly acidic one.

Tip #5 – Choose Italian Plum Tomatoes

When it comes to making homemade tomato soup, you can use fresh or canned tomatoes. Whatever you choose, you’ll want to use Italian Plum Tomatoes for your best tomato soup.

Why Italian Plum Tomatoes Are Best

When it comes to red tomatoes, Italian plum tomatoes, such as the Roma variety, are the best for making homemade tomato soup because:

  • They are exceptionally flavorful.
  • They are often lower in acidity than other varieties of tomatoes. (A tomato lower in acid will make a smoother, less sharp-flavored tomato soup.)

If you decide to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes to make your tomato soup, there is another reason that choosing a variety of Italian plum tomatoes will work best. Italian plum tomatoes have very thin skins, so you will not need to peel the tomatoes if you plan to make a pureed tomato soup. The skins will basically dissolve into your soup.

Also, Italian plum tomatoes have fewer seeds than most other varieties of tomatoes. Once you puree your soup, the seeds will most likely disintegrate.

A Bone Broth Base for Tomato Soup

Bone broth is easy to make, and as I described earlier, it’s the perfect liquid for making homemade tomato soup. If you want to use chicken bone broth, you can literally make it for pennies, as I show you in my how to make roast chicken bone broth video.

How to Make Roast Chicken Bone Broth For Pennies a Jar
  • Slow cooker: How to Make Roast Chicken Bone Broth for Pennies a Jar

You can use different types of broth or bone broth for your tomato soup:

  • Beef broth
  • Beef bone broth
  • Chicken broth
  • Chicken bone broth
  • Vegetable broth

Not sure how broth and bone broth are different? In the following video, I talk about the difference between broth, stock, and bone broth.

  • What is the Difference Between Broth, Stock, and Bone Broth and How to Make Them

Using a Vegetarian Broth for Tomato Soup

If you would like to keep your tomato soup on the vegetarian side, be sure to watch my video to learn how to make super mineral broth on the stovetop. As the name implies, this recipe is not just any vegetable broth. Instead, this mixture guarantees that your vegetable broth will be exceptionally mineral-rich!

Mary standing in front of a basket of vegetables used to make Super Mineral Broth.
  • Super Mineral Broth Recipe on the Stovetop – Natural Immune Booster

And if you have an Instant Pot, you can make a mineral broth using that device too!

  • Instant Pot Super Mineral Broth Vegetable Soup

If you want to make sure that you always have a vegetable broth at the ready, try making this Easy Homemade Vegetable Bouillon. You can even dehydrate it in the oven to have a shelf-stable homemade bouillon powder that is always handy.

How to Make Bouillon YouTube Video
  • Easy Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Recipe
Mary holding two jars of dehydrated homemade vegetable bouillon.
  • Dehydrating Homemade Vegetable Bouillon – FOOD DEHYDRATING 101

Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List

If you are just starting out making more foods homemade and moving away from a processed foods kitchen, be sure to download my FREE 36-page Essential Traditional Foods Pantry List.

This guide will help you know what to stock in your pantry and give you tips and links on how to create nutritious and delicious meals with what you stock in your traditional foods kitchen.

  • FREE 36 Page Traditional Foods Pantry List – Printable Pantry Staples List

More Tomato Recipes

Are you looking for more ways to work nutritious tomatoes into your diet? Then be sure to check out the videos below!

  • How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes – Using a Food Mill

  • How to Make Marinara Sauce with Fresh or Canned Tomatoes

And are you wondering what to do with all those tomato skins after making homemade marinara sauce? I’ve got the perfect solution: tomato powder. It couldn’t be easier to make!

  • How to Make Tomato Powder

New to home canning? No problem! In the video below, I show you how to can tomatoes start to finish with this detailed water bath canning video that walks you through the entire process step-by-step.

Crushed Tomatoes Recipe Video
  • Canning Crushed Tomatoes with Water Bath Tutorial

Don’t miss out on the delicious taste of fermented cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. And not only is this fermented combination tasty, but it’s also rich in probiotics, which are the good bacteria that keep our digestive system healthy. Check out the fermented tomatoes recipe video below, which is perfect for beginners who are new to fermenting.

  • Fermented Tomatoes Recipe – Fermented Cherry Tomatoes with Basil

Want a sweet treat with no added sugar? If so, you have to try these candied tomatoes. They are so scrumptious it really is a challenge to eat just one!

How to Make Candied Tomatoes Recipe Video
  • How To Make Slow Roasted Candied Tomatoes

Kitchen Academy Videos

Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos, live streams, and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.

JOIN NOW
And become a Traditional Foods Kitchen Pioneer

In the following members-only video, I talk about Getting to Know Vitamin D and Vitamin K.

  • Getting to Know Vitamin D and Vitamin K

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

  1. Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.

  2. Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.

  3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos, live streams, and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

Love,
Mary ♥

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Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Homemade Tomato Soup

This simple and delicious soup is perfect at any time, but especially when it is chilly outside!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Soups & Stews
Cuisine: Americana
Keyword: Tomato Soup
Author: Mary’s Nest

Equipment

  • Medium size Dutch oven or soup pot
  • Handheld stick blender or traditional blender

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Butter, unsalted If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/8 teaspoon.
  • 2 large Yellow onions, peeled and chopped Sweet varieties work best.
  • 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1 tbsp Whole sugar or sweetener like sucanat If you do not have whole sweeteners, you can use white sugar.
  • 2 28-ounce Cans of Italian Plum tomatoes If you can find them, San Marzano tomatoes are delicious. (If you are using fresh Italian Plum tomatoes, you will need approximately 24 tomatoes.)
  • 2 cups Liquid I used chicken bone broth. You can also use chicken broth or bone broth, beef broth or bone broth, vegetable broth, or water.

Instructions

  • On medium heat, add butter to a Dutch oven or soup pot.
  • Once the butter has melted and is foaming, add onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions soften.
  • Add garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) to onions and stir well.
  • Add sweetener to the onion mixture and stir well.
  • Add tomatoes to the onion mixture and stir well. You can also begin to crush the tomatoes if you want.
  • Add liquid to the tomato and onion mixture and stir well. Heat to a simmer on medium-high heat.
  • Once the simmer is reached, cover the soup pot and turn the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer covered for 45 minutes to one hour.
  • After simmer time, puree to the desired texture using a handheld stick blender or a traditional blender. (If using a traditional blender, puree in batches and be sure to allow the steam to escape.) (See the recipe video to see how to use the stick blender.)
  • After pureeing, the soup is ready to be served.
  • Refrigerated in an airtight container, tomato soup will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
  • Frozen in an airtight container, tomato soup will stay fresh for 6 months.

Video

Notes

To make Cream of Tomato Soup, add 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to the soup and stir well. If you cannot find heavy whipping cream, you can use light cream or table cream, but you will need to use 3/4 cup.
To make Tomato Basil Soup, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil and 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese to the soup. Stir well.
Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-the-best-homemade-tomato-soup-with-5-tips/
Copyright © 2021 Mary’s Nest, LLC, All Rights Reserved

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Recommended Reading

  • 303 Italian Tomato Recipes: The Best Italian Tomato Cookbook on Earth
  • The Tomato Basket
  • Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and Diet Dictocrats
  • Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World
  • Nourishing Fats: Why We Need Animal Fats for Health and Happiness

**Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, a medical professional, a dietician, or a nutritionist. All content found on the MarysNest.com website, including text, images, videos, eBooks or eGuides, social media, or other formats, were created solely for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or proper nutritional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have watched in a video or read on this website. Use caution when following the recipe in this video. The creator and publisher of this video and website will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of this recipe and method or any other recipe and method on this website or corresponding video channel.

Filed Under: Tomato Soup, Tomatoes Tagged With: Tomato Soup, Tomatoes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda says

    October 28, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    No joke…Best Tomato Soup! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Mary's Nest says

      October 28, 2021 at 7:25 pm

      Oh Linda! I am so happy to hear this…and thank you for the kind words!! Love, Mary

      Reply

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