Best Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe
Homemade tomato basil soup is my kind of cozy in a bowl. It’s rich, velvety, and weeknight easy. I use canned crushed tomatoes so you can make it any time of year, then build flavor with sweet carrots, fennel, and plenty of fresh basil. A spoonful of coconut milk solids makes it creamy without dairy. From first chop to bowls on the table in about 40 minutes. No tinny taste, no heavy cream, just pantry staples doing the heavy lifting.
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Servings: 6
Equipment
- 1 large pot or dutch oven
- 1 high-speed blender or immersion blender
Jacqui's Prep TipWeigh ingredients with a food scale for best results!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- ¾ pound carrots peeled + diced
- 1 medium fennel bulb cored + diced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 quart broth or stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup coconut milk refrigerated and water drained
- Toppings: olive oil drizzle, fresh basil or parsley, cracked black pepper, or red pepper flakes for heat.
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, fennel and good pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden at the edges, 8-12 minutes.¼ cup olive oil, 1 medium sweet onion, ¾ pound carrots, 1 medium fennel bulb, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Stir in garlic and fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly, about 1 minute. Splash in ½ cup broth, scraping up any browned bits.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 quart broth or stock
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and the remaining broth. Season with a pinch more salt. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, 1 quart broth or stock
- Add basil. Carefully blend the soup (immersion blender in the pot, or transfer to a high-speed blender in batches) until silky.½ cup fresh basil leaves
- Stir in coconut milk solids until melted and smooth. Taste and adjust salt if needed.½ cup coconut milk
- Ladle into bowls. Finish with a swirl of olive oil, fresh basil or parsley, cracked black pepper, or red pepper flakes if you like heat.Toppings: olive oil drizzle, fresh basil or parsley, cracked black pepper, or red pepper flakes for heat.
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Notes
- If acidity is high (varies by brand of tomatoes), a splash of broth or a few extra minutes of simmering smooths it out.
- Fennel or fennel seeds won’t make the soup taste like licorice; it just adds depth.
- If using a countertop blender, work in batches and vent the lid; hot liquids expand. An immersion blender is the easiest, least messy option, though your soup may not be perfectly silky.
- If the soup is too thick, loosen with a splash of broth or water. Too thin, simmer a few minutes uncovered.
- The soup tastes even better on day two; it also freezes well in portions for quick lunches.
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