Creamy Tomato Soup

Soups are soothing, comforting and satisfying. I think each warm spoonful trickles down and seeps into every crevice of my being. It soothes and brings a toastiness not only to my body, but also to my soul. It’s no wonder most people eat soup when they’re sick!

For me, what I like the most about soup is how light and refreshing it tastes but at the same time is so satisfying. I love all kinds of soups, starting with Borsch, Chicken Noodle Soup, Zuppa Toscana to more “exotic ones” like Rassolnik, Schi, Okroshka, etc. Just kidding about the exotic part – those are all Russian soups that the rest of the world may consider a little out of ordinary:) but we Russians grew up eating all the time. Or at least our moms made us. Isn’t it funny how most kids don’t like soup? But then they grow up and all that soup-hate changes.

I especially like soups that are classics.  Tomato soup fits into that category perfectly, and is loved by both children and adults. I make Tomato Soup quite often and always serve it with some crunchy Garlic Bread or Parmesan Herb Croutons. This soup is creamy, aromatic and feels sort of rustic.

Since I live in a city apartment and don’t even have a porch to grow a pot of herbs, I can’t really rely on getting some good quality tomatoes to use for this soup. Besides, tomatoes aren’t in season very long, and I want to enjoy this soup all year, so canned tomatoes it is. I’ve come to find out that canned tomatoes are picked during the peak of the season, so they are actually a very good choice. Roasting the tomatoes in the oven brings out their sweetness and intensifies their flavor. Sprinkling them with some brown sugar first, deepens the caramelization even more and mellows out the acidity of the tomatoes. Using onions and garlic as aromatics to bring more flavor to the soup is a perfect combination to complement the soup and not overpower it. Splashing in a touch of cream at the end gives this soup it’s creamy and luscious texture and balances the acidity of the tomatoes too.

When I am lucky enough to have an abundance of beautiful, fresh tomatoes, I ABSOLUTELY make this soup, in which case I use a bit more tomatoes than the recipe calls for.

This soup is quick enough to make on a busy weeknight and the simple flavors will satisfy both children and adults.

Ingredients:

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained, JUICE RESERVED or 2 – 2 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon dry herb mixture and onion salt, each
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped, or 2 large shallots, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1/3-1/2 cup heavy cream
salt, pepper
fresh parsley and basil, to garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Drain the diced tomatoes, saving all the juice, and distribute evenly on the prepared baking sheet. If I’m using fresh tomatoes, I coarsely chop them, remove as much of the seeds as possible.

I also like to peel the tomatoes first by cutting an X on the tops and bottoms of the tomatoes, putting them into a large bowl, and then pouring boiling water over them. After about a minute, I put the tomatoes in ice water and then then peel like a charm. Some sorts of tomatoes have very thin skin that will completely disintegrate after blending the soup, but others won’t and you will have annoying little pieces, especially if you don’t have a good blender.

Sprinkle with brown sugar, the dry herb mixture and onion salt. Add part of the minced garlic, about half. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and ground black pepper as well. My favorite seasonings to use in tomato soup (and almost everything else I cook), is this combination of the Trader Joe’s onion salt, which isn’t too salty and chicken seasoning from Simply Organic Grilling Seasons. There are so many amazing dry herbs in both of these. It’s the perfect flavor boost to almost any dish.  Roast for 30-45 minutes, until the tomatoes are dark gold and almost charred in spots. This highly depends on the tomatoes that you are using. They should appear dry. Fresh tomatoes will have a lot more juice than canned. Set aside.Melt the butter in a medium pot. Add the onion or shallots, season with salt. Cook, about 5 minutes, until tender and beginning to turn golden. Add the remaining garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and flour, stirring until all the flour is incorporated. Cook for about a minute. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon so all the flour is incorporated into the butter.
Pour in a small part of the chicken broth or reserved tomato juice, stirring vigorously (or better yet, use a whisk), just so that the flour is evenly distributed in the soup and no lumps form. Add the rest of the chicken broth, reserved tomato juice, and the roasted tomatoes to the soup. Stir together, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Season with salt. Cook for another 15 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender.

You’ll need to do this in batches. Don’t fill the blender more than half full, or you just might have an explosion. Speaking from experience:).

Return the pureed soup to the pot, and add the cream.

Garlic bread is SO good with this soup:). The crunch of the bread is a perfect match for this creamy soup. You can also top the soup with croutons or shaved Parmesan cheese. 

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Creamy Tomato Soup

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  • Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Soup

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained, JUICE RESERVED or 2 – 2 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon dry herb mixture and onion salt, each
  • 4–6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped, or 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
  • 1/3–1/2 cup heavy cream
  • salt, pepper
  • fresh parsley and basil, to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Drain the tomatoes. Reserve the juice. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them, coarsely chop them and remove most of the seeds. Spread the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Sprinkle with brown sugar, the dry herb mixture and onion salt. Season with salt and ground black pepper as well. Add part of the minced garlic, about half. Drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until the tomatoes are dark gold and almost charred in spots. This highly depends on the tomatoes that you are using. They should appear dry. Fresh tomatoes will have a lot more juice than canned. Set aside.
  5. Melt the butter in a medium pot. Add the onions, season with salt. Cook, about 5 minutes, until tender and beginning to turn golden. Add the remaining garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and flour, stirring until all the flour is incorporated. Cook for about a minute.
  6. Pour in a small part of the broth or reserved tomato juice, stirring vigorously or use a whisk, to prevent lumps from forming.
  7. Add the rest of the broth or reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Stir together, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Season with salt. Cook for another 15 minutes.
  8. Puree the soup in batches.
  9. Return the soup to the pot and add the cream. Garnish with fresh herbs, like parsley and basil.

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25 Comments

  • Erin

    This looks really delicious. I am a huge tomato soup fan and this is the first recipe I’ve seen that makes me want to make my own. Thanks for sharing it!

  • Luba

    Olga I love tomato soup but you forgot to add flour to the ingredients…..I figured it’s like a tablespoon right?

  • Liliya

    Hey I finally made this soup today!! It was delicious. I did a few things differently…since I still live in NY, we have TONS of tomatoes 🙂 So I roasted fresh ones. Also, I added fresh basil which I think is an absolute MUST in anything tomato related. I pureed one batch without basil and compared to one with basil and the taste difference is incomparable! It was nice to make my American husband his first homemade tomato soup 🙂 Thank you

  • Elena

    Olga, do you have any suggestions of what to do with left over tomato paste / sauce? I always face the problem of using a tablespoon of tomato sauce and placing the rest of it in the fridge and later throwing it out because it went bad. So frustrating!! Thanks for your help. (I’m currently making this soup, can’t wait to try it!) : )

    • olgak7

      Hi Elena,
      If you have left over tomato paste or tomato sauce, I would probably use it in a recipe where it’s needed and freeze it for another day. I usually try to use recipes where I use the whole can. If you aren’t going to eat it in the next few days, make a lasagna, stuffed shells, tomato meatball soup, beef goulash, etc. and freeze them. You’ll use up the tomato paste/sauce and have an extra meal for busy days or when you just don’t feel like cooking.

  • Alla

    Hi Olga! I made this tonight abd couldn’t believe how easy it was and tasted great from canned tomatoes. I loved the consistency of it 😉 I did think it was a little too sweet for my taste buds but nevertheless it was yummy! I think I’m gonna split up leftovers into 1 cup portions a freeze them for later 😉 also, my immersion blende was a lifesaver here! No need to do the whole transferring to blender in batches! Thank you so much!

  • Dinatchka

    Hi Olga, tried this soup today and LOVED it, I paired it with Wild Mushroom Risotto Fritters and it was so delish together!!

  • Edward

    Hello Olga, my name is Edward and I am an Estate Manager for a couple and the lady of the home is Russian 100%. I have already tried a couple of your recipies and they turned out great. I can’t wait to make the tomato soup for her in a couple of days along with the Russian Salad and Lebedushka. Thanks to you I am learning how to cook Russian. I love your website. Keep up the good work……..Edward

  • Marilyn

    Olga, have you tried using an immersion blender? They are my favorite kitchen tool for creamy soups! And smoother mashed potatoes, cauliflower, smoothies, etc. Just stick it in the pot, push the button, and your soup is blended. Less mess and time, plus no chance of burning yourself!

    • olgak7

      I have an immersion blender too and it certainly makes things easier:). I do prefer using a blender, because it makes the soup a lot smoother.

  • Larisa

    Tried it and it tastes delicious next time I’ll add less sugar to the tomatoes before placing them in the oven. Great soup thank you for this recipe.

    • olgak7

      Yes, I’ve made it with fresh tomatoes many times. Use the same recipe except cut up fresh tomatoes and roast them in the oven until they are starting to char in some places. You can peel the tomatoes in advance or take the skin off the tomatoes after they are roasted. If you don’t mind having some skin in the soup, you don’t have to remove it at all. It’s the same recipe, using fresh tomatoes instead of canned.

  • Anna Fogdall

    I’ve seen that Costco has canned tomatoes that have already been roasted. What do you think about using them instead of roasting for 30 min?

    • olgak7

      You can skip the roasting step, but I think the flavor is better even if the can says that the tomatoes are already roasted.
      Roasting any vegetable gives them so much caramelization and a slight sweetness. It also concentrates the flavor. The canned roasted tomatoes are not quite as caramelized and still have a lot of moisture. It’s completely up to you.

  • Anna

    I’ve made this tomato soup a million times! It’s always a hit I usually double it and add basil. So good with grilled cheese. Thank you for sharing! Love your recipes.

  • Jessica

    Really delicious! I didn’t puree it as I like my soups a bit chunky. My OH (pickiest eater in the world) said, “This is actually nice…” which is about as much as you’re ever going to get from him…!



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