Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
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This creamy tomato basil soup requires just a few simple ingredients to make. Soups are by far my favorite thing to prepare. While some might think reaching for a can is easy and saves time, I think one can whip up a variety of tasty and healthy soups in less than 30 minutes. This is one of those recipes!
What makes tomato soup creamy?
I found this recipe for Tomato Basil Soup many years ago in Cooking Light. I changed it up a bit, and I substituted goat cheese for the cream cheese. My family prefers the goat’s cheese version to the cream cheese, but cream cheese is delicious if you’re not a fan of goat’s cheese. (This post was originally published on September 3rd, 2019 and has been updated to contain nutritional information. As an Amazon Affiliate I receive commission on qualifying purchases.)
What kind of canned tomatoes are best?
For a recipe like this, where tomatoes are the star, I choose imported Italian tomatoes. So many canned tomatoes are of an inferior quality and often the consumer is led to assume that the fancy “Italian” sounding label means that the tomatoes are grown and packaged in Italy. For more information on which tomatoes are authentic, read more on the Greatest Tomatoes from Europe website.
How do you make homemade tomato soup?
With just five ingredients, no including salt and pepper, t’s one of the fastest and easiest recipes ever. Heat up tomatoes and basil, whisk in cream cheese or goat cheese, puree, add milk…done!
Although the original recipe calls for canned, fire-roasted tomatoes, which gives it a bit of a kick, you can certainly use regular tomatoes. We all love the slightly spicier version! The Parmesan Crisps take just minutes to make, and go perfectly with a bowl of this soup. It replaces the need for croutons, making the whole thing completely gluten free.
Ingredients:
- Canned tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- cream cheese or goat’s cheese
- milk
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Once you’ve assembled the ingredients, saute the onions and garlic, add the tomatoes and basil.
Bring to a boil then whisk in cream cheese or goat’s cheese. Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the soup until smooth. Use milk to thin to desired consistency. Return to heat on low until warm.
Can you serve tomato soup chilled?
If you have access to fresh tomatoes during the summer, this soup is also excellent served cold. If it thickens up a bit the second day, but can be thinned down with water or chicken broth.
Tomato Basil Soup With Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 cup basil chopped chiffonade
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 4 ounces cream cheese or goat's cheese crumbled
- 2 cups milk
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium high high heat. Add onion and saute onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté another minute, do not burn.
- Add tomatoes and basil, bring to boil.
- Add cream cheese, stirring until smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend until smooth.
- Return mixture to saucepan and add milk. Bring to simmer and heat until warm
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Serve with parmesan crisps
To make Parmesan-Thyme Crisps, heat oven to 325 degrees F. Grate some good quality parmesan cheese, about 1 cup. Mix in about 1 Tablespoon, fresh chopped thyme. Place a small mound of cheese on a greased cookie sheet. (or use a slipat) Flatten. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the crisps are golden. Remove from cookie sheet and cool. Makes about 6-8, depending on the size. To see a demonstration on how to chiffonade basil, click here.
Parmesan Crisps
Ingredients
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh thyme chopped
Instructions
- Mix the grated cheese and chopped thyme together
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place 6 mounds of cheese mixture on a sheet-pan lined with silpat or parchment.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 10 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool then remove from cookie sheet and finish cooling on a rack.
Nutrition
Looking for more fast, and easy soup recipes? (They’re all healthy too!)
Mediterranean Sausage Soup with Pistou (Keto, Whole30 and Gluten free)
Great time of year to make this soup with fresh tomatoes. this a delicious looking soup, especially with the cheese crisps.
Jovina, unfortunately I did not have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year! I like that you can use canned if you don’t have fresh tomatoes!.
Great soup. I’ve found that canned tomatoes make way better soups than fresh!
Mimi, true! that’s because they’ve been in a water bath before processing. Having cans on hand, makes this nearly as fast as a canned soup!
Wow! I was just thinking about the fact that I’d never made a creamy tomato soup the other day! This sounds delicious, Cynthis! I will try it with tomatoes from Italy! 😉
Christina, we have a couple of Italian markets in town that carry several types of imported tomatoes as well!
I love everything about this soup, and think today would be the perfect day to make it, we are finally getting some really cold weather here in Cali
I love that you added goat cheese right into the soup. Yum! I bet this is so flavorful!
This sounds delicious! I love using fire-roasted tomatoes! And goat cheese is such an awesome addition! I love doing taste-tests with my family, too. Fun!
I love tomato soup – never had it with goat cheese – but I’m missing out I see!
Just adds another level of tangy creaminess!
Can you make this soup a day before. I am going to use the goat cheese.
Having a Halloween party trying to do as much as i can ahead of time.
Thanks
Sorry Pamela,
Just seeing this! Yes, I’m sure you can definitely make it the day before.
We eat leftovers all the time the next day.
This tomato soup really looks special! Love that it’s got all these traditional mediterranean flavors. I’d rather make it with fresh tomatoes whenever I could but canned tomatoes work just fine too. Great recipe! thank you!
Soup recipes are so perfect for this cold weather and the tomato and herbs in this one sounds great!
Thank you Shanika! We’ve been having some really cold weather in LA!
I so love tomato soups! This one sounds especially delicious, and this is exactly what I’m craving lately in all of this LA rain. 🙂
right? We’ve been having some really chilly weather in LA!
I completely agree – a homemade soup is SO much better than a can and it’s really not that hard. Love all of the fresh flavors in this!
right? And just as easy!
I could eat this dish for breakfast, lunch & dinner! And those crisps have my heart!
I’m with you for lunch and dinner! I’ll have to think about breakfast! 🙂
Tomatoes and goat cheese are such a magical combination! Love your recipe.
thank you Mimi!
This ingredient is very helpful and healthy
https://maxhealthily.com/folliboost-review/
Love tomato basil soup. Just wondering if you could use feta instead of goat cheese.
Sure! I’ve used cream cheese too!