Soups & Stews

Serving

Creamy Tomato Soup

Name: Creamy Tomato Soup
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Soups & Stews
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter; 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes; 2 cups vegetable broth; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 cup heavy cream; salt and black pepper, to taste; fresh basil leaves, for garnish

A silky blended tomato soup enriched with cream, perfect alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.

35 minutes

Serves 4

Lunch

12 min prep

19 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
2
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
3
Stir in tomatoes (with juices), broth, and sugar; bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
4
Blend the soup smooth using an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender.
5
Return to the pot, stir in heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper.
6
Warm through gently and serve garnished with fresh basil.

Creamy Tomato Soup — plated and served — Serving moment. How Creamy Tomato Soup looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

67/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 65

Pantry-friendly 51

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

305

Calories

5 g

Protein

11 g

Carbs

28 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Creamy tomato soup sits at the meeting point of old tomato preservation habits and modern pantry cooking. In North American homes, canned tomatoes made the soup practical year-round, while cream and a grilled cheese sandwich turned it into the familiar diner-and-kitchen version many cooks recognize.

Listahan note

This version keeps the soup simple and pantry-friendly, using canned whole tomatoes for body and cream for a smooth finish. The main priority is softening the onion well, simmering long enough to round the tomatoes, and blending until the texture feels silky.

Technique cues

Cook the onion until it is fully soft before adding the tomatoes. If it stays firm at the start, the blended soup can taste sharper and less settled.
Whole peeled tomatoes usually give better texture than diced canned tomatoes because they break down more evenly during simmering and blending.
Warm the soup gently after adding the cream. A hard boil can dull the fresh tomato flavor and make the finish feel heavier.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start grilled cheese sandwiches while the tomatoes simmer; the soup can wait on low while the sandwiches crisp.
Make-ahead: Cook and blend the tomato base ahead, then add the cream when reheating for the smoothest finish.
Leftover move: Use extra soup as a quick sauce for cheese tortellini or spoon it over toasted bread with basil.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the tomato cans and blender parts right after blending, before the tomato residue dries.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Butter

Rich cooking fat

Purpose: Butter gives the onion a rounded base flavor and helps the finished soup taste fuller.

Handling: Melt it over medium heat and avoid browning it before the onion goes in.

Adaptation: Olive oil gives a cleaner, less creamy base and works well if you want the tomato flavor to lead.

Yellow onion

Sweet aromatic base

Purpose: A softened yellow onion adds natural sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes.

Handling: Dice it small enough that it softens in about 5 minutes before the garlic is added.

Adaptation: A white onion works in the same method but gives a slightly sharper finish.

Garlic

Savory aromatic

Purpose: Garlic adds depth behind the tomatoes without turning the soup into a garlic-forward dish.

Handling: Cook it for about 1 minute after the onion so it becomes fragrant without browning.

Adaptation: A small pinch of garlic powder can cover the flavor gap, but add it with the tomatoes so it hydrates.

Whole peeled tomatoes

Tomato base

Purpose: Canned whole tomatoes bring acidity, sweetness, and enough pulp to blend into a smooth soup.

Handling: Add the tomatoes with their juices and crush any large pieces with a spoon before simmering.

Adaptation: Crushed tomatoes make a quicker soup with a slightly less fresh, less layered texture.

Vegetable broth

Simmering liquid

Purpose: Broth loosens the tomatoes and gives the soup a savory backbone without making it taste watery.

Handling: Use it to rinse a little tomato juice from the cans if you want to catch every bit.

Adaptation: Chicken broth makes the soup taste rounder and less vegetable-forward.

Heavy cream

Silky finish

Purpose: Heavy cream softens the tomato acidity and gives the soup its smooth, diner-style texture.

Handling: Stir it in after blending, then warm the soup gently instead of boiling hard.

Adaptation: Half-and-half makes a lighter soup; coconut milk changes the flavor and adds a mild sweetness.

Technique notes

Taste after the 20-minute simmer, not right after the tomatoes go in. The sugar and salt read differently once the tomatoes have cooked down.
If using a countertop blender, fill it only partway and vent the lid so steam can escape while blending hot soup.
For a thicker bowl, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes before adding cream; for a looser soup, add a splash more broth after blending.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Use olive oil instead of butter and an unsweetened oat cream or coconut milk instead of heavy cream; oat cream stays more neutral, while coconut milk adds a distinct sweetness.
Weeknight shortcut: Use crushed tomatoes instead of whole peeled tomatoes to reduce blending time, knowing the soup will taste a little less bright.
Brighter finish: Add a small splash of vinegar or a few torn basil leaves at the end if the soup tastes flat after cream is stirred in.
Richer bowl: Blend in a small handful of grated Parmesan after the cream for a saltier, more savory finish.

Serve alongside

Classic grilled cheese sandwich
Garlic croutons
Caesar salad
Pesto mozzarella toast
Iced black tea
Sparkling water with lemon
Light lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often and adding a splash of broth if it has thickened.
Freeze before adding cream for the best texture; thaw overnight, reheat the tomato base, then stir in cream.

Equipment

Large heavy pot
Immersion blender
Wooden spoon
Ladle

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