Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup & Homemade Garlic Basil Croutons is the perfect comfort food meal for the end of any cold winter day!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Pinterest Hidden Image

My Creamy Tomato Basil Soup recipe is like a comforting warm fleece blanket on a cold winter’s night. With a splash (or two!) of cream, you can customize this recipe to suit your taste. This is a must-make recipe and it’s super quick, too!

Close up image of Creamy Tomato Basil Soup in a brown bowl topped with croutons and fresh basil.

Save this Recipe

Save this Article

Enter your email and I will send the article link right to your inbox for you plus you’ll subscribe for all the latest articles!


With all the freezing cold weather and loads of snow keeping us cooped up in the house, I’ve been making a lot of soups lately. This Creamy Tomato Basil Soup is just about the best comfort food around. 

Growing up, I wouldn’t touch tomato soup but these days, I’ll settle down to a big bowl of this soup no problem! It’s absolutely divine along with an avocado grilled cheese sandwich!

Related: Next time, try our easy Crockpot Potato Soup

🧂 Ingredients

  • Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Onion
  • Fresh Garlic
  • Carrots
  • Canned Diced Tomatoes
  • Chicken Stock
  • Dried Basil
  • Sugar
  • Cream

This is meant to be a brief overview of our easy tomato soup recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.

I love how quickly this soup can come together for dinner. I first made it on a snowy Sunday afternoon, but it can easily be made on any weeknight since it only needs to simmer for a little while.

A brown soup bowl filled with Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.
If you love quick, homey meals, you’ll adore this Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions and answers people ask about our creamy tomato soup recipe.

How Much Cream Should I Use?

The amount of cream in this recipe is left out on purpose!  That’s because it’s completely up to you how much you want to put in.  Anywhere from a splash to a half cup will add a nice amount of creaminess to the tomato basil soup.  The cream, like the sugar, also helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Why Should I Use Dried Basil Instead of Fresh?

I am using dried basil in this recipe because that’s what I had on hand at the time.  Basil is not an herb that looks pretty when it is heated – it just turns black!  So for these reasons, I am sticking with dried basil.  You could substitute some of the fresh basil just before you puree the soup mixture, but I would not garnish the soup with it.

How Do You Thicken Homemade Soup?

In this recipe, the pureed vegetables, along with the cream, help make the soup thicker.  If you wish to omit the cream, you could also add a couple of tablespoons of flour with water until it is smooth to make a slurry.  Add it to the pot and mix it in well.

Close up image of Homemade Garlic Basil Croutons on top of tomato soup.

The homemade tomato basil soup is pretty amazing by itself, but when you add the homemade garlic croutons, it’s a total home run! Serve with my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad for the perfect soup and salad night.

Serving Suggestions

  • These homemade garlic basil croutons are awesome, of course! You can make these croutons ahead if you prefer and store them in an airtight container. It’s a good way to use up stale bread.
  • Our Garlic and Herb Cheese Bombs would also make a yummy addition to this meal.
  • Grilled cheese and tomato soup always go together! For a more grown up version that compliments the basil, try this Pesto Grilled Cheese recipe from Baking Mischief.
  • Top the tomato basil soup with Cheesy Tater Tots. It’s a delicious alternative to croutons!
A woman pulling apart a garlic and herb cheese bomb.

Make-Ahead and Freezer Tips

Tomato Basil Soup makes an awesome make-ahead or freezer meal. If that’s your goal do NOT add the cream until you are ready to serve.  It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just not as good if you know what I mean.

  1. Let the soup cool completely.
  2. Pour your soup into containers (I love using these containers with tight lids for freezing soups.
  3. Put the lids on tight.
  4. Mark the contents and date with a marker and slide it into the refrigerator or freezer.

Storage

This will keep for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or up to about 4 months in the freezer.

Pro Tip: Use a wide mouth funnel to ladle the soup into the containers without making a mess!

😋 Similar Recipes

You can find loads more Delicious Soup Recipes right here on Juggling Act Mama, for example:

📋 Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Not ready to make this delicious tomato soup yet? Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later.

When you do make it, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. It totally makes my day!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup & Homemade Garlic Basil Croutons is the perfect comfort food meal for the end of any cold winter day!
Add to Your Recipe Box
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 331kcal
Author: Ang Paris

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 29 oz cans diced tomatoes 2 14.5 oz cans
  • 32 oz chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 4 tablespoons sugar to taste
  • cream
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  • Over medium heat, combine the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and season with salt, pepper and the dried basil. Cook until the onions are tender. (It’s ok if the carrots are not completely tender).
    2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 large carrots, 1 teaspoon dried basil, Salt and Pepper, 1 large clove garlic
  • Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock and sugar. Stir to combine.
    29 oz cans diced tomatoes, 32 oz chicken stock, 4 tablespoons sugar
  • Cover and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Puree the soup using an immersion blender. Add the cream just before serving.
    cream
  • Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 5721IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg
Please Note: I am not a registered dietitian. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
Tried this recipe? Pin It for Later!Mention @jugglingactmama or tag #jugglingactmama!

Meal Planning

Want to add this recipe to your meal plan? Download our free printable meal plan here.

👉 Be sure to check out all our meal plan ideas here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




One Comment