Easy Tomato Basil Soup
An easy tomato basil soup recipe that takes just ten minutes to make and calls for six simple ingredients. If you love homemade tomato soup, you are going to love this quick recipe.
This is my quick tomato basil soup that is almost as easy as warming up a can of soup but so, so, so much better because you know exactly what’s in it. A few simple ingredients and ten minutes are all you need to make it. I love it all on its own or with a grilled cheese sandwich or chicken salad sandwich for lunch or a light dinner.
Recipe Notes
This is an uncomplicated soup recipe for those times when you’re craving some comfort food without a hassle. The recipe makes enough for one, but you can easily double or triple it to serve more people.
It’s so simple it takes only about ten minutes from start to finish, but you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for an easy lunch or dinner.
As I mentioned, it’s great on its own, or pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich or salad to make a bigger meal. Or just add some crusty bread on the side for dunking.
Ingredients
- Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Now’s not the time for random-brand canned tomatoes. For this soup, I prefer Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes. The tomatoes are sweet and not too acidic. You could also use high-quality crushed tomatoes.
- Chopped garlic: Fresh garlic is the best, but I’m not opposed to using some minced garlic (“jarlic,” if you will) as a shortcut.
- Chopped yellow onion: If we’re taking shortcuts, feel free to use the same amount of frozen chopped onions instead of chopping a fresh one.
- Broth: I’ve made this tomato soup several times using whatever stock I have. The first time I used a splash of beef stock which gave it a bit more depth of flavor, but since then I’ve stuck with chicken stock since that’s usually what’s stocked in my fridge, so don’t get hung up on specificity. Use what you have on hand and experiment. You can use vegetable broth or even water.
- Tomato paste: I like to keep a tube of tomato paste in the fridge. It makes it easy when you only need a little bit, like for this recipe.
- Chopped fresh basil leaves: This is a tomato basil soup, so fresh basil is a given, but feel free to add other chopped herbs like parsley or thyme. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano or Italian seasoning when you cook the onion to add extra flavor.
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to Make It
☑️ Saute the Onions and Garlic
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and tomato paste and sauté them for a minute or until fragrant.
☑️ Simmer
Add the tomatoes and broth. Simmer the soup for five minutes or so.
☑️ Puree
Puree the soup using an immersion blender. Add the basil, stir, season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve.
Garnish Ideas
Want it a little fancier? Add some of these garnishes:
- Chopped herbs
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Crispy croutons
- Add a dollop of pesto to stir into the soup
Questions and Answers
Add a few tablespoons (for one serving) of heavy cream or half and half after you puree the soup. It will give it a rich, creamy texture.
I prefer high-quality canned tomatoes for this recipe because you don’t have to worry if the tomatoes are too acidic.
If you want to make it ahead it should keep well for at least three to four days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for several months. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.
More Easy Soup Recipes
10-Minute Tomato Basil Soup
This simple tomato basil soup for one takes just ten minutes to make and has simple ingredients. It’s a great easy lunch or light dinner.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (see note)
- 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large basil leaves, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and tomato paste and cook them for a minute or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and broth. Simmer the soup for five minutes.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender or transfer it to a stand blender. Add the basil, stir, season with salt to taste, and serve.
Notes
The type of canned tomatoes you use makes a big difference in this recipe. I like using Muir Glen because the tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. Add a pinch or two of granulated sugar if your soup is too acidic. This will balance the acidity.
The nutrition estimate does not include added salt.
Nutrition
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 18.3g
- Sodium: 944.2mg
- Fat: 10.7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34.2g
- Fiber: 5.5g
- Protein: 6.7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
More Quick Recipes
Treat yourself to this super easy soup! It’s one of my all-time favorites – I hope you love it, too.
Happy Cooking!
This post was updated from the archives. It was first published in June 2018.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it. Tomato basil soup is pretty simple so if you don’t like tomatoes as the main flavor it’s probably not for you. If you prefer cream in your soup you might like my Tomato Bisque or Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque.