This easy tomato soup is the perfect quick and easy lunch or dinner. To make it, you just need one can of tomatoes, a handful of pantry staples, and less than half an hour.
Friend, this is some really good, really easy tomato soup.
It’s sharp and tangy with just enough cream to take the edge off and add a really satisfying richness. It tastes like something whipped up in a charming bistro kitchen, but is so, so easy to make in yours.
You just need one can of tomatoes (crushed, cubed or whole all work fine), a few pantry staples, an immersion or countertop blender, and you’re 25-ish minutes away from some marvelous soup.
A Recipe for One or Two
The recipe makes a little over 1½ cups of soup, which is one very large serving or the perfect amount to split with someone when served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or homemade panini.
I say go with option two, because there’s nothing like dipping toasty bread and cheese in homemade soup no matter what the weather is like outside.
Ingredients
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will work fine here
- Garlic and red pepper flakes: Garlic and red pepper flakes help spice up the soup. You can skip the red pepper flakes if you don’t have any (though are you sure you don’t have a packet leftover from pizza delivery floating around your kitchen somewhere?). The red pepper can create some real heat, so add as much or as little as you’d like.
- Canned tomatoes (whole, cubed, or crushed): This soup is designed to be made with any sort of canned tomatoes you have on hand. If using whole or diced tomatoes, you’ll just cook them slightly longer to help them break down.
- Chicken broth or water: Chicken broth or water helps to thin the soup out to your desired consistency since liquid will evaporate from the tomatoes as they cook.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream is the secret hero of this dish. It adds a creamy richness to the soup and helps mellow out the intense tang of the tomatoes. If you don’t have heavy cream, sour cream can be substituted (just add to taste). This recipe won’t use up an entire carton of heavy cream so check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for ideas on what to do with the leftovers.
- Salt and pepper: Don’t skimp on the salt!! It makes such a difference. Canned tomatoes vary wildly in saltiness, so you may need quite a bit or very little depending on the brand and whether you use salted chicken broth or water.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Soup
Melt butter and cook onions until softened. You don’t want to brown the onions, so make sure you’re cooking them over a nice medium heat and turn the heat down if at any time they begin to darken instead of soften.
Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until golden and aromatic. This helps bring out the flavor of the garlic and pepper flakes before you add the rest of the ingredients.
Add tomatoes and broth/water, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender or countertop blender to blend the soup until smooth. If using a countertop blender, be sure to cool the soup slightly before blending so it’s safe to handle.
Stir in heavy cream. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, stir in just a bit of chicken broth or water. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Variations & Topping Ideas
- Basil tomato soup: Add 5 chopped fresh basil leaves to the soup before blending.
- Tortellini tomato soup: While your soup cooks, cook 1 cup of tortellini in a separate pot. Drain and add to tomato soup just before serving.
- Croutons: Top your soup with croutons, store-bought or homemade!
Immersion Blender Notes
I always use an immersion blender for this soup, it purees the tomatoes and onions but still leaves you with a bit of texture, which I like. If you prefer a perfectly smooth tomato soup, use a regular high-powered blender .
You may have to tilt the pot slightly to fully process all the soup. Be careful blending and always keep the blades completely submerged so you don’t splatter hot soup all over!
Can you freeze tomato soup?
Yes! Tomato soup freezes beautifully.
To freeze the soup, allow it to mostly cool and then transfer it to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze and store for up to 2 months.
To reheat the soup, defrost in the refrigerator or submerge bag with frozen soup in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes (make sure there are no holes in the bag first!!) and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
For more tips and tricks on freezing soup, check out my post How to Freeze Soup .
What to serve with tomato soup?
The perfect tomato soup pairing is a grilled cheese sandwich (I’m partial to this pesto grilled cheese version myself). It’s also delicious with just about any sandwich or panini .
Simple roast broccoli , roasted asparagus , or parmesan zucchini would be the perfect veggie complement to the soup.
Can you make tomato soup without a blender?
You can make this soup without a blender if you’re using pureed tomatoes to start. It’s going to be a pretty chunky soup, but if you like your soup with plenty of texture, go for it. Just be sure to dice your onions small at the start.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! I almost always double this recipe when cooking it so I can freeze the leftovers. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider. No other cooking changes are needed.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Chicken Carcass Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup
- Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Immersion blender OR
- ▢ Countertop blender
Tomato Soup for Two
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 14g ) butter
- ▢ ½ cup diced onion
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- ▢ 1 14-ounce can tomatoes whole, cubed, or crushed
- ▢ ¾ cup chicken broth or water
- ▢ 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ▢ Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, crush with a spoon and simmer for 10 minutes to soften. If using diced tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes. If using crushed tomatoes, continue to next step.
- Add broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- If using an immersion blender, blend soup until mostly smooth. You may need to tilt the pot for the blender to work effectively. If using a countertop blender, cool the soup for 10 minutes before transferring it to the blender and blend until smooth or mostly smooth. If soup is too thick, you can blend in a little more broth or water. Return to saucepan.
- Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over medium heat if necessary and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Adapted From Chow Hound
These Butter and Garlic Green Beans are perfectly cooked and tossed with butter and toasted garlic. They’re a quick, easy, and delicious vegetable side dish.
Ready for your new go-to no-fail veggie side dish? I’d like to meet these perfect, wonderful garlic green beans that are ABSOLUTELY FOOLPROOF.
They’re boiled, so you don’t have to worry about burning them while they cook. You can make them with pre-trimmed green beans, so no cutting required if you don’t want to.
And, best of all, if your timing is off and the green beans finish cooking 20 minutes before your main dish, they get tossed in a hot pan with butter right before serving, so they’ll heat right back up!
Like I said, foolproof.
Ingredients
- Fresh green beans: You can use regular green beans or haricots verts. If using the latter, just adjust the simmering time as needed since they’re thinner and will cook a bit quicker.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will work just fine.
- Fresh garlic: If you don’t feel like mincing the garlic, you can use a garlic press, but the little cubes of minced garlic are really delicious in this, so if you can mince the garlic, do!
- Salt and pepper: A little salt and pepper to taste is all the spicing up these green beans really need.
How to prepare green beans?
To prep your beans, wash them and use a sharp knife to trim the ends.
To trim the green beans, grab a handful of beans, line the ends up, and slice them all off at once. Line the beans up on the other side and trim the second side. Once all the beans are trimmed, they’re ready to go.
If prepping in advance, trimmed green beans can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days before cooking.
How to cook fresh green beans
- Transfer your prepared green beans to a medium pot and add just enough cold water to cover them. Add a couple good pinches of salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until they reach your preferred level of doneness.
- Drain and set aside.
- Just before serving, melt butter in a large skillet and toast garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until lightly golden. Add green beans and toss until they’re well coated in the butter and garlic and reheated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
What to serve with garlic green beans?
Everything! Sauteed green beans go with practically everything, but to start you off, I’d recommend:
- Tri-tip
- Country-style Pork Ribs
- Baked Ziti
- Easy Tomato Soup
Can I use canned/frozen green beans?
Yes. Warm/cook the beans according to package instructions and then toss them with the melted butter and garlic.
More Green Bean Recipes
- Roasted Green Beans
- Green Beans in the Microwave
- Green Beans With Bacon
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 pound green beans trimmed and washed
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced*
- ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
- ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pot, cover green beans with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until they reach your preferred level of doneness. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and toast until golden, watching carefully to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Add the cooked green beans to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat (and reheat if they’ve cooled).
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Fantastic chewy, peanut-buttery peanut butter oatmeal cookies that everyone will love, plus instructions for freezing the dough for later.
If you’ve never had a peanut butter oatmeal cookie before, friend, you’re in for a treat. They’re the perfect cookie hybrid.
All the satisfying, rich peanut-buttery flavor of a good peanut butter cookie and the bendy, chewy texture and crispy edges of an oatmeal cookie.
Plus (at least here in California) this isn’t a cookie you see every day, so you set out plate of these, and people are always excited to get something a little different and new.
This recipe will make two-dozen large cookies (no worries small-batch friends, here’s a small-batch peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe for you ).
And if you don’t feel like eating all two dozen right now, there are instructions below for freezing baked cookies and dough so you can stock up your freezer for later.
Ingredients
- Softened butter: I like to use salted butter in these cookies, but you can replace it with unsalted butter if that’s what you have. Just add an extra 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Peanut butter: Go with a processed brand like Jiff or Skippy, as these give you the most consistent results for baking. You could probably get away with using natural peanut butter if you really want to, but these cookies have not been tested with it, so I can’t guarantee the results.
- Brown and granulated sugar: A mix of brown and granulated sugar is used to sweeten the cookies.
- Large eggs: The eggs in this recipe add moisture to the dough and act as a binder for the rest of the ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: Even in peanut butter cookies, a little vanilla in the dough is such an excellent flavor boost.
- All-purpose flour: Make sure you’re measuring your flour either by weight or using the spoon and sweep method (stir the flour in your container to fluff it up and then spoon it into your measuring cup, sweep excess off with the flat of a knife). Too much flour and your cookies might not spread correctly.
- Quick-cooking oats: I prefer quick-cook oats for these cookies, but see my note below if you don’t have any on hand. Baking soda: Baking soda gives the cookies a little lift and (along with the sugar) helps them spread.
A Note on Oats
This recipe calls for quick-cook oats (AKA instant or minute oats). These are rolled oats that have been processed into smaller, thinner pieces so they cook more quickly. Using quick-cooked oats gives you a less “oaty” cookie. You’ll still get plenty of texture, but your peanut butter oat cookies aren’t going to taste like a granola bar.
If you normally keep old-fashioned/rolled oats on hand, not a problem. You can either embrace the extra texture and use them as-is or place 2 cups of oats into your food processor, pulse until most of the oats have been cut into smaller pieces and measure out 1 1/2 cups of the processed oats to use in the cookies.
Do not use steel-cut oats. No good can come of that.
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Set your butter out to soften about an hour before you’re ready to make your cookies. When your butter is properly softened, you should be able to smoosh an indentation into it with your finger, but the butter around it should still hold its shape. To speed up butter softening, cut it into little pieces and place somewhere warm in your kitchen.
- Once butter is softened, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Beat in the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
- Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets. Bake cookies 6 to 8 to a sheet because they SPREAD. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to give them time to firm up, and then transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy!
Freezing Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Freezing Baked Cookies: To freeze baked cookies, cool completely, transfer to a freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat one, you can defrost the cookie on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes or just eat it frozen.
Frozen cookies are surprisingly refreshing on a hot day.
Freezing Cookie Dough: To freeze the cookie dough, shape into balls and place on a plate or tray that will fit in your freezer until dough is frozen solid. Transfer frozen dough to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months.
Baking Frozen Dough: Frozen cookie dough can go directly from the freezer to the oven. Bake on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 13 to 16 minutes, until the top of the cookie/s looks set and bottom edges are lightly browned.
How to store cookies?
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 or 5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Yes!!! !!!! Chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies are SO good. Add about 2 cups of chocolate chips or chunks to the cookies. I particularly love to make them with milk chocolate chips.
Update: On the advice of some readers, I’ve started making these with peanut butter chips, and OMG, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Add 2 cups of peanut butter chips after you’ve stirred in the oats, and you will not regret it!
More Reader Favorite Desserts
- The Best Snickerdoodles
- Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small-batch Banana Muffins
- Kettle Corn
- Dutch Apple Pie
Baking Notes
- Because of the amount of dough this recipe makes, I prefer to make it in a stand mixer for convenience, but as you can see from the recipe video, you can use a hand-held electric mixer or muscle power and a whisk, and your cookies will come out fantastically well.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 cup ( 8oz, 2 sticks ) salted butter softened
- ▢ 1 cup ( 264g ) peanut butter creamy or chunky are fine, not natural peanut butter
- ▢ 1 cup ( 200g ) brown sugar
- ▢ 3/4 cup ( 150g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 large eggs
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup ( 180g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats*
- ▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until well-combined and fluffy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until completely mixed.
- Add flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Beat (if using a hand-held mixer or making by hand, use a wooden spoon to stir) until just mixed and a sticky dough forms.
- Scoop golf-ball- sized scoops of batter onto baking sheets, 8 to a sheet as far apart as possible (these cookies SPREAD).
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are browned around the edges and tops look mostly set. For crispier cookies, bake until cookies look completely set.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking tray. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
This easy tomato soup is the perfect quick and easy lunch or dinner. To make it, you just need one can of tomatoes, a handful of pantry staples, and less than half an hour.
Friend, this is some really good, really easy tomato soup.
It’s sharp and tangy with just enough cream to take the edge off and add a really satisfying richness. It tastes like something whipped up in a charming bistro kitchen, but is so, so easy to make in yours.
You just need one can of tomatoes (crushed, cubed or whole all work fine), a few pantry staples, an immersion or countertop blender, and you’re 25-ish minutes away from some marvelous soup.
A Recipe for One or Two
The recipe makes a little over 1½ cups of soup, which is one very large serving or the perfect amount to split with someone when served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or homemade panini.
I say go with option two, because there’s nothing like dipping toasty bread and cheese in homemade soup no matter what the weather is like outside.
Ingredients
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will work fine here
- Garlic and red pepper flakes: Garlic and red pepper flakes help spice up the soup. You can skip the red pepper flakes if you don’t have any (though are you sure you don’t have a packet leftover from pizza delivery floating around your kitchen somewhere?). The red pepper can create some real heat, so add as much or as little as you’d like.
- Canned tomatoes (whole, cubed, or crushed): This soup is designed to be made with any sort of canned tomatoes you have on hand. If using whole or diced tomatoes, you’ll just cook them slightly longer to help them break down.
- Chicken broth or water: Chicken broth or water helps to thin the soup out to your desired consistency since liquid will evaporate from the tomatoes as they cook.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream is the secret hero of this dish. It adds a creamy richness to the soup and helps mellow out the intense tang of the tomatoes. If you don’t have heavy cream, sour cream can be substituted (just add to taste). This recipe won’t use up an entire carton of heavy cream so check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for ideas on what to do with the leftovers.
- Salt and pepper: Don’t skimp on the salt!! It makes such a difference. Canned tomatoes vary wildly in saltiness, so you may need quite a bit or very little depending on the brand and whether you use salted chicken broth or water.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Soup
Melt butter and cook onions until softened. You don’t want to brown the onions, so make sure you’re cooking them over a nice medium heat and turn the heat down if at any time they begin to darken instead of soften.
Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until golden and aromatic. This helps bring out the flavor of the garlic and pepper flakes before you add the rest of the ingredients.
Add tomatoes and broth/water, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender or countertop blender to blend the soup until smooth. If using a countertop blender, be sure to cool the soup slightly before blending so it’s safe to handle.
Stir in heavy cream. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, stir in just a bit of chicken broth or water. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Variations & Topping Ideas
- Basil tomato soup: Add 5 chopped fresh basil leaves to the soup before blending.
- Tortellini tomato soup: While your soup cooks, cook 1 cup of tortellini in a separate pot. Drain and add to tomato soup just before serving.
- Croutons: Top your soup with croutons, store-bought or homemade!
Immersion Blender Notes
I always use an immersion blender for this soup, it purees the tomatoes and onions but still leaves you with a bit of texture, which I like. If you prefer a perfectly smooth tomato soup, use a regular high-powered blender .
You may have to tilt the pot slightly to fully process all the soup. Be careful blending and always keep the blades completely submerged so you don’t splatter hot soup all over!
Can you freeze tomato soup?
Yes! Tomato soup freezes beautifully.
To freeze the soup, allow it to mostly cool and then transfer it to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze and store for up to 2 months.
To reheat the soup, defrost in the refrigerator or submerge bag with frozen soup in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes (make sure there are no holes in the bag first!!) and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
For more tips and tricks on freezing soup, check out my post How to Freeze Soup .
What to serve with tomato soup?
The perfect tomato soup pairing is a grilled cheese sandwich (I’m partial to this pesto grilled cheese version myself). It’s also delicious with just about any sandwich or panini .
Simple roast broccoli , roasted asparagus , or parmesan zucchini would be the perfect veggie complement to the soup.
Can you make tomato soup without a blender?
You can make this soup without a blender if you’re using pureed tomatoes to start. It’s going to be a pretty chunky soup, but if you like your soup with plenty of texture, go for it. Just be sure to dice your onions small at the start.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! I almost always double this recipe when cooking it so I can freeze the leftovers. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider. No other cooking changes are needed.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Chicken Carcass Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup
- Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Immersion blender OR
- ▢ Countertop blender
Tomato Soup for Two
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 14g ) butter
- ▢ ½ cup diced onion
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- ▢ 1 14-ounce can tomatoes whole, cubed, or crushed
- ▢ ¾ cup chicken broth or water
- ▢ 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ▢ Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, crush with a spoon and simmer for 10 minutes to soften. If using diced tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes. If using crushed tomatoes, continue to next step.
- Add broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- If using an immersion blender, blend soup until mostly smooth. You may need to tilt the pot for the blender to work effectively. If using a countertop blender, cool the soup for 10 minutes before transferring it to the blender and blend until smooth or mostly smooth. If soup is too thick, you can blend in a little more broth or water. Return to saucepan.
- Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over medium heat if necessary and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Adapted From Chow Hound
Easy Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Immersion blender OR
- Countertop blender
Tomato Soup for Two
- 1 tablespoon ( 14g ) butter
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- 1 14-ounce can tomatoes whole, cubed, or crushed
- ¾ cup chicken broth or water
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, crush with a spoon and simmer for 10 minutes to soften. If using diced tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes. If using crushed tomatoes, continue to next step.
- Add broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- If using an immersion blender, blend soup until mostly smooth. You may need to tilt the pot for the blender to work effectively. If using a countertop blender, cool the soup for 10 minutes before transferring it to the blender and blend until smooth or mostly smooth. If soup is too thick, you can blend in a little more broth or water. Return to saucepan.
- Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over medium heat if necessary and enjoy!
