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The best homemade fresh tomato soup uses fresh tomatoes and a few pantry staples. Satisfy your childhood soup cravings with this family-favorite tomato soup recipe for Instant Pot or stove.
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The best fresh tomato soup recipe
Dive into the comfort of tomato soup from scratch. Turn fresh tomatoes and a few pantry staples into a delicious bowl of soup with minimal effort. It's so easy and delicious you'll probably never settle for canned soup. It’s naturally vegan, too, but I also love it with chicken broth. I always love this soup topped with homemade croutons, or crostini.
Ingredient notes
- Olive oil - or any cooking oil
- Onion - any onion will work (I used white onions)
- Garlic - fresh garlic, if possible
- Fresh tomatoes - any variety (I love early girls and heirlooms)
- Fresh or dried herbs - I love oregano or basil
- Broth - vegetable broth or chicken broth
- Croutons - so easy to make and highly recommended for this soup
How to make tomato soup with fresh tomatoes
Remove stems from fresh tomatoes, cut in half, and set aside. Sauté onions and garlic in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add tomatoes, salt, oregano, and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 40 minutes until tomatoes soften.
Blend the soup until well combined. (optional) Pour soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove tomato seeds.
Serve tomato soup warm with croutons, a French bread, crostini, focaccia, or a delicious grilled cheese sandwich.
Recipe tips
- Tomato variety - Early Girls and heirlooms are easily found and grown in summer. Opt for vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes, available at most grocery stores, for a consistently flavorful soup during the off-season.
- Tomato size - A medium tomato (baseball size) is about ¼ pound. This recipe calls for 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes, so you need about 16.
- To peel or not - Peeling tomatoes for tomato soup is optional, as the skins will be pureed, resulting in a silky smooth texture. Feel free to peel if you prefer.
- Make it creamy - To recreate Panera's tomato soup, stir in ¼ to ½ cup of heavy cream (or half and half) into the cooked tomato soup.
Soup recipes we love
- Lasagna Soup
- Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Mushroom Soup Recipe
- Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Easy Vegetable Soup
📖 Recipe
Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe
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Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 White Onion, coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
- 4 pounds Tomatoes, halved (about 8 cups)
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth, or Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano, or Basil
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
See recipe footnotes for the pressure cooker method
- Heat OLIVE OIL in soup pot on medium-high heat. Sauté ONIONS and GARLIC until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add TOMATOES, BROTH, OREGANO, and SALT.
- Bring everything to a boil, stirring as needed.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until tomatoes fall apart easily.
- Use a stick blender or heat-safe countertop blender to puree ingredients into a soup, removing all lumps.
- Taste the soup and season with more salt if needed.
- (optional) Pour the soup through a mesh strainer to remove the tiny tomato seeds.
- Serve warm. Garnish options: croutons, fresh parsley, creme fraiche, Parmesan cheese.
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or 90 days in the freezer.
Recipe Notes
- Tomato variety - Early Girls and heirlooms are easily found and grown in summer. Opt for vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes, available at most grocery stores, for a consistently flavorful soup during the off-season.
- Tomato size - A medium tomato (baseball size) is about ¼ pound. This recipe calls for 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes, so you need about 16.
- To peel or not - Peeling tomatoes for tomato soup is optional, as the skins will be pureed, resulting in a silky smooth texture. Feel free to peel if you prefer.
- Make it creamy - To recreate Panera's tomato soup, stir in ¼ to ½ cup of heavy cream or half and half into the cooked tomato soup.
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add ONION and GARLIC; sauté until tender and lightly browned (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add TOMATOES, SALT, OREGANO, and BROTH to the pot.
- Secure the lid, turn the pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position, and press "Cancel". Then select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook” on the HIGH setting for 10 minutes.
- When the cook cycle ends, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for a 10-minute NPR natural pressure release. Carefully turn the pressure release valve to "Venting" to release any remaining steam before opening the lid.
- Continue with step #6 above.
Equipment
- 4.5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot or 6-quart Instant Pot
- immersion blender or other high speed blender
- 9-inch fine mesh sieve optional
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re straining the soup, peeling the tomatoes isn’t necessary. The blender breaks down the skins and straining removes any remaining bits, which results in a smooth soup.
Yes, you can! If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, canned whole or crushed tomatoes work well. Use a 28-ounce can for every 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes.
If your soup is too thin, simmer it uncovered to reduce the liquid until it thickens to your liking. You can also blend in some cooked potatoes or a slice of bread to thicken the texture.
Yes! Cool the soup completely and store it in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.
Phyllis Green says
It very easy to make and delicious. I added cream.Even better the next day.
Traci says
Yes!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Cream makes it so rich and even more of a treat. Thank you for trying my recipe and for sharing this. xoxo
Dot Shields says
This soup was really easy to make in the instant pot. I followed the recipe exactly and added the heavy cream as suggested. My husband commented that the soup was good. This was my first time making tomato soup and I am pleased with how it turned out.
Traci says
Yayy!! I'm so glad to hear it and honored that my recipe was your first tomato soup trial. Thank you for letting me know. I really love the IP for it too and am getting to ready to do the same thing myself. Enjoy!
Diana says
Can this recipe be canned? It sounds really good and I am getting a bushel of Roma’s tomorrow. Ok
Traci says
Hiya! I don’t have canning instructions, but there are great trusted resources online that walk you through safe canning methods. I hope you love this recipe with your bushel of Roma’s. Thanks!
Cynthia Collett says
This is, without a doubt, THE best tomato soup I've ever tasted. I added a half cup of cream but that's almost like gilding the lily.
Traci Antonovich says
Wow—thank you so much! I love that phrase because that’s exactly how I feel about the cream too. It’s a nice extra, but the soup holds its own. So glad you loved it! xoxo
Donna Watts says
The only negative thing is that it tastes really bland. I’ve added some extra spices and even some red pepper flakes to brighten up the taste.
Traci says
Hi Donna, thanks for making my recipe 🙂 Any blandness you detect might be because I intentionally keep the salt moderate as a courtesy to my readers since it's so easy to add to taste. And adding flavors to your liking is the beauty of home cooking–I'm always up for red pepper flakes YUM! Try adding a little salt, it does wonders. Enjoy! xoxo
Meagan Ownby says
I had some beautiful tomatoes from a roadside stand that I need to use. I added bay leaves while the veggies were cooking and a little half and half at the end. Could not get enough of this soup!! So delicious and fresh!
Traci says
Yay!! Nice customizations! Thank you for bringing my recipe into your kitchen–and for your feedback. Much appreciated! xoxo
Theresa says
Any type of tomato that you prefer over another?
Traci says
Hiya! I often use early girl or heirloom as that's what we often grow, but any tomatoes can work for this recipe. Let me know if I can answer any more questions. Thanks and enjoy!!
Elaine says
Love, love LOVE this recipe!! So fresh tasting. I served it with zucchini cornbread, and it made a perfect light summer supper. ♥️
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Love that side dish idea too. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Jan G. says
Hi Traci,
What type(s) of tomatoes work best for this recipe? I would like to make this.
Traci says
Hi Jan, you can use virtually any tomatoes, but as I mentioned in the recipe, I tend to use Early Girl's and heirlooms because that's what we grow. Thanks so much and let me know if you have more questions. Enjoy!
Jamie says
I did the stovetop version. Super easy and absolutely delicious! A hit with the entire family! Great way to use lots of extra tomatoes. Will definitely make again!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! We do also love this during the summer. Freezes wonderfully too! Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!
connie says
Very good! Did on stove top.
Traci says
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience.