Rich and delicious, quick and easy; this homemade creamy tomato basil soup recipe is 100x more flavorful than any canned tomato soup recipe. With just a handful of ingredients you can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
If I could, I’d happily spend hours each day, lovingly making meal after meal that’s sure to delight everyone, from my picky youngsters to my hard-to-impress husband. Everything would be healthy, organic, fresh…
But the reality is, I just don’t have time to make fresh from scratch meals day after day.
I still get to craft those special meals, especially around the holidays and on Sundays, but for day-to-day cooking, when I have twenty different things demanding my time, I need a little help.
Normally, I rely on make-ahead freezer meals to get through the day, but lately, I’ve fallen in love with quick, delicious and healthy meals made in my Instant Pot.
My instant pot is great for a lot of recipes, especially meat, like my Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, or my family’s recent favorite, Sweet and Tangy Instant Pot BBQ Ribs.
But my ultimate favorite is making Instant Pot soup. Warm, healthy and oh so fast to cook.
Seriously, this quick homemade tomato soup with canned tomatoes is the best soup ever!
WHY THIS CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP IS THE BEST EVER…
I don’t like to get too braggy, but this really is the best easy tomato soup recipe. Here’s some of the reasons why.
- First, it is super versatile. You can make it on the stovetop, instant pot, or even the slow cooker.
- It’s also able to be made ahead, sealed and placed in your freezer to enjoy anytime you like.
- The flavors are out of this world good… rich, creamy, basil-y perfection.
- This recipe is also a perfect way to cut down on salty, over-processed store bought foods, as this recipe is totally made homemade from scratch.
- One thing I love about this recipe is how many vegetables I’m able to sneak into it. You know kids aren’t always willing to eat a carrot! But in this recipe, I’m able to sneak in onion, carrots and tomatoes, which all really make for a great flavor when blended, and I feel good knowing my family is getting more whole foods than they would in a canned soup.
HOW DO YOU DRESS UP TOMATO SOUP? TOMATO SOUP WITH RAVIOLI!
My favorite way of dressing up tomato soup is to add some ravioli to it. If you live in an area with a Trader Joe’s look for their teeny tiny mini raviolis. They are the coolest and smallest raviolis I’ve ever seen. But there’s no reason you couldn’t use your favorite full-sized ravioli too.
You can also add almost any pasta you like. Have a toddler who is learning the ABCs? Makes some alphabet pasta instead! Bowtie, penne or elbow noodles all can make this soup thicker and heartier, too.
Prefer a creamy tomato soup? Add a little extra heavy whipping cream! It’ll lighten the flavor with just a pinch, making it creamier and delicious! Or just drizzle a little bit on the top with a fresh basil leaf and some homemade croutons.
HOW TO MAKE QUICK TOMATO SOUP IN INSTANT POT
To make pressure cooker tomato soup all you need to do is first, turn the pressure cooker to saute feature. Add olive oil, onion, carrots and garlic. Saute until starting to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, then place lid on pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Do a quick release, then add in fresh basil. Use an immersion blender again to puree till smooth. Add cream, stir and add any garnishes or raviolis and serve!
HOW CAN I MAKE THIS CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN?
I love the flexibility of this recipe! To make this creamy tomato basil soup vegan simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Then at the end when it’s time to add the cream either omit it completely or add in a little bit of coconut milk and stir until smooth. Then serve.
WHAT GOES WITH TOMATO SOUP?
If the first thing you thought of was anything other than grilled cheese, then we have to talk! Of course, tomato soup and grilled cheese are like two peas in a pod. For an extra dose of gooey goodness, consider heating up my make-ahead Asparagus Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Not a fan of grilled cheese? Try my Make Ahead Ham and Cheese Sliders instead!
CAN I FREEZE THIS TOMATO SOUP RECIPE?
Yes, you can freeze this recipe! For this tomato soup, simply let the soup cool, then put it in a gallon sized freezer safe ziplock bag or container, and place it in the freezer. Then on the day you’d like to enjoy it, simply thaw it or reheat in the microwave.
Note: I’ve found freezing just the soup and making ravioli fresh while reheating the soup works better than freezing the soup with the ravioli. Otherwise the raviolis get mushy.
BEST CONTAINERS TO FREEZE IN
Reusable options: You can use mason jars, freezable glass storage containers (my favorites on Amazon.com here) or even reusable silicone bags.
For disposable options: If you have a restaurant supply store in your town, you might want to look at what options are there first. I have found in my local stores freezable paper containers (for making & freezing ice cream) that work really well for freezing and microwaving to heat up. And they are really inexpensive! Or you can also order some 32 oz paper freezer containers with lids on Amazon.com here.
Another option would be to use these as pictured above from Amazon if you find you make ahead your meals often.
(48 pack) plastic containers with lids on Amazon.com
Feel free to search around on Amazon.com to see if you prefer smaller containers, or a smaller quantity of containers as well.
CAN I USE GARDEN FRESH TOMATOES INSTEAD OF CANNED?
This particular recipe works best with canned tomatoes. However, if you are a gardener and find yourself with a ton of extra fresh tomatoes from the garden, try my Garden Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe instead!
With a recipe this fast and easy, what are you waiting for?? This recipe is perfect for the whole family!
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled or minced
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1/3 cup heavy cream optional
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves saving a few leaves for garnish if desired
- 8 oz raviolis, mini preferred optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Once hot, add onions and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to turn golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, until golden.
- Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, celery salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
- Add fresh basil leaves to the pot.
- Purée mixture either using an immersion blender or pour into a high-powered blender. Puree until smooth. If using a blender, return mixture to the pot.
- Bring soup to simmer again. Add ravioli to the pot and cook for the amount of time on the package directions until al dente. Add cream if using, stir to combine.
- Optional: garnish with fresh basil leaves, croutons, a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
- After pureeing basil leaves into soup, allow soup to cool completely. Note: Do not add cream or ravioli to soup. For best results add fresh to heated soup on day of serving. Transfer soup to individual freezer safe containers or freezer bags. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible and freeze. Or leave 1 inch head space in container, seal with lid and freeze. Freeze for up to 6 months.
THAW & COOK
- Place bags or containers in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours to thaw. Pour bag contents into a dutch oven or large pot. Whisk together if it separated a little. Stirring often, warm over medium heat until simmering. If adding ravioli, add ravioli to the pot and cook for the amount of time on the package directions until al dente. To reheat in microwave place in a microwave safe container and cook on high for 1-2 minutes or until heated through, stirring every 30 seconds. To serve: (optional) garnish with fresh basil leaves, croutons, a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Loved this recipe?
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About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
eileen says
Instead of cream or coconut could I add a boiled potato to blend in to make it thicker
Thanks
Happy-Money-Saver says
I am not sure how that would change the texture of the soup but it is worth a try!
Sandra Moon says
Love the recipes.
Zoe says
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Is there a way you can freeze everything together already puréed without cooking beforehand? I’d like to just throw in the crockpot the day of and serve.
Thanks! 🙂
Karrie says
I’d say yes you can, except maybe keep the heavy cream out and stir it in at the end when you add the pasta.
Angela says
I am shocked. I didn’t add any dairy to this soup and it was still somehow creamy, full of flavour and perfect comfort food. This recipe is a keeper. How it does not have more votes is beyond me. This recipe deserves to be in your cookbook!
Karrie says
Aweee thanks so much Angela!!!
Mike Day says
Looks great. What exactly gives it so much sodium?
Karrie says
Hi, I’m not sure, chicken broth and the 1 teaspoon of salt? It’s a program that calculates it, so I’m not sure. That does seem like a lot of sodium for just one serving, I wonder if it’s a glitch?
Elisha says
This is seriously so good and so easy! I didn’t have any ravioli, so we ate it without and just put in some grated mozzarella. Everyone loved it, and it was perfect on a cold, fall night.
Ann says
I really like soups, especially thick chowder, especially if the weather outside is inclement 🙂 So soup is always a good idea. I also like spicy soups and creamy textures. Tomato plus basil plus garlic, mmm, yummy! And so fragrant… Your blog is a real find, your recipes are very interesting and relevant for every day. Thank you, I will definitely keep this recipe and cook it often!
Karrie says
Thank you so much Ann!!!