This easy homemade Roma Tomato Soup is made with garden fresh tomatoes, vegetable broth, and heavy cream. It’s so creamy and fresh, you’ll never want to buy canned soup again!
Easy homemade tomato soup with fresh tomatoes
We’ve all been there: our fridge is full of tomatoes collected from our (or a neighbor’s) garden and we don’t know what to do with them! Instead of freezing them or making tomato sauce, why not make a creamy tomato soup instead?
This creamy Roma Tomato Soup is made using garden fresh Roma tomatoes! So plump and fresh, the pureed tomatoes come alive when blended with onion, garlic, and vegetable broth. Finished with a splash of cream, every bite of this fresh tomato soup tastes so luscious.
The best tomato soup is always homemade with garden fresh tomatoes! You can’t go wrong making a big batch for weekday lunches, freezing it for later, or serving for dinner! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
What kind of tomatoes are best for tomato soup?
Roma tomatoes are my favorite, but you can also use beefsteak, heirloom, or tomatoes on the vine to make soup. Just remember: the number one rule to making the best tomato soup is to use garden fresh tomatoes. If you don’t have a garden, head to your local farmer’s market to find some plump and vibrant red organic tomatoes.
Do you need to peel tomatoes for soup?
We want the smoothest, creamiest tomato soup, and the best way to achieve this is to remove the skin and seeds first. This is easy to do through blanching. Follow my step-by-step instructions (with pictures) below!
After cutting an X on one end of each Roma tomato, drop them into a pot of boiling water for a minute. Transfer them to a cold bath. As they sit, the skin will loosen and become very easy to remove with your hands.
Either discard the skins or use them to make tomato powder! The less waste, the better.
How to make garden tomato soup
You won’t find a better tomato soup than one made with fresh garden Roma tomatoes. As a bonus, it comes together easily without any special equipment and minimal ingredients:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut small X’s in the stem end of each tomato.
Drop the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then transfer them to a pot of cold water. You can see the tomatoes are already losing their skin here!
When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin. They should easily just slip off as you peel them.
Now chop them all up! It gets a little messy. 🙂
Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in a large soup pot with oil.
Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes, turn up the heat, pour in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to boil.
Once it’s boiling, turn the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
Use an immersion or regular blender to puree the tomato soup.
Return it to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the texture is thicker.
Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, then serve with all of your desired toppings!
Tips and variations
- Heavy cream – This will help cut down on the tart tomato flavors. If you’d rather not use cream, replace it with regular milk, coconut milk, or pureed cauliflower like this Tomato Soup with Cauliflower recipe.
- Make it spicy – Add red pepper flakes or a diced chili pepper of choice when sauteing the onions and garlic.
- Add-ins – You can make tomato soup with red peppers, corn, carrots, scallions, fresh basil, or celery added in for more complex flavors.
- Toppings – Top each bowl of soup with basil leaves, croutons, toasted nuts, Parmesan cheese, microgreens, or pesto.
- Storing – Any leftover tomato soup will store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s perfect for meal prep and weekday lunches!
- Hearty Tomato Soup – for a heartier soup try my Tomato Rice Soup made with fresh tomatoes!
What to serve with garden tomato soup
Is it even tomato soup without a grilled cheese or crusty bread on the side? We love adding in baked croutons on top too for a nice crunch!
Can you freeze tomato soup?
Yes! This soup freezes beautifully for up to 6 months in an airtight container or freezer bags. Let it thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight or defrost in the microwave before reheating.
More tomato recipes:
- Tomato Pie
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad with Avocado
- Homemade Diced Tomatoes
- Homemade Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- How to Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes
- Cherry Tomato Sauce
Pin for later:
Fresh Tomato Soup
PrintIngredients
- 3 pounds roma tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cut a small X in the stem end of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch them for about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a pot of cold water to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin from the tomatoes, remove the core, and coarsely chop the flesh.
- In a large soup pot over medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the soup pot with onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to high, add the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender (or regular blender – careful, it's hot!) and puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, add the heavy cream and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. If the soup is too thin, simmer for about 10 more minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve into bowls, adding croutons, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top if preferred.
Janet says
Is this tomato soup good for canning?
Pamela says
Yes, you can use this recipe for canning tomato soup, but you will need to add lemon juice or citric acid to the jars as well.
Julie says
Made a pot of this beautiful tomato soup, but it’s too much for just me & my husband. Does this soup freeze well for later?
Pamela says
Hey Julie, glad you liked the soup. It freezes great! 🙂
[email protected] cook ware lab says
Looks awesome! I will make this very soon!
Audrey says
I am ready for summer to be here so I can have some fresh tomatoes. Thanks for partying with us on #TastyTuesdays
Barbara says
You are making me feel hungry. This looks real good. I am definitely going to try this recipe.
easypeasylifematters says
This sounds and looks so mouth watering! 🙂
Bobbi says
This looks marvelous! It’s been too long since I made tomato soup from scratch.
Christine says
I love tomato soup! Definitely trying this recipe out. Thanks for sharing! Stopping by from the Inspiration Monday party.
Liz Jo says
This is what fall is about!
Thanks for linking up with Welcome Home Wednesdays! Live every Wednesday at 7AM CT.
liz @ j for joiner
Marie says
So it is totally rainy and gloomy here today and this looks so perfect to warm up with. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
grace says
this soup has a wonderful color! i believe that basil is a requirement when making anything with tomatoes. 🙂
Lucy says
I am a soup obsessive, so I will have to buy a copy of Soup Swap ASAP! This tomato soup looks divine. I never know what to do with roma tomatoes. I’ll definitely give this a try soon. Pinning!
David says
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite comfort food meals! I still remember eating this one on cold winter days with my mother. I prefer to sprinkle a little bit of dried basil on top…and of course, chewy Italian bread is a must! Thanks for sharing this from-scratch recipe. I need to give it a shot soon!
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I must confess I never peel my tomatoes. The soup looks really scrummy 🙂
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
Tomato soup has got to be one of my faves for sure! Such a classic and for good reason! I love it with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a buttery grilled cheese sandwich for dunkin’ 🙂 So good!
[email protected]'s Recipes says
I want mine with lots of basil leaves and crunch cheesy croutons!
Pamela says
Yum, that sounds delicious Angie!