Creamy Tomato Basil Soup + Croutons

If you love quick, homey meals, you’ll adore this Creamy Tomato Basil Soup served with easy Homemade Garlic Basil Croutons.

My Creamy Tomato Basil Soup recipe is like a comforting warm fleece blanket on a cold winter’s night.  With a splash (or two!) of cream, you can customize this recipe to suit your taste.  This is a must-make recipe and it’s super quick, too!

With all the freezing cold weather and loads of snow keeping us cooped up in the house, I’ve been making a lot of soups lately.  This Creamy Tomato Basil Soup is just about the best comfort food around.  It’s a play off my idol Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman tomato soup recipe.  Growing up, I wouldn’t touch tomato soup but these days, I’ll settle down to a big bowl of this soup no problem!

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe Shopping List:

• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Onion
• Fresh Garlic
• Carrots
• Canned Diced Tomatoes
• Chicken Stock
• Dried Basil
• Sugar
• Cream

Items You May Also Need:

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• Cutting Board and Good Knife for prep work.
• Dutch Oven – This might be my most favorite item in the kitchen and it works really great for making soup!
• Hand Blender (Immersion Blender) – which works awesome for getting a really smooth consistency in this tomato basil soup.
• Baking Sheet and Parchment Paper for the making the croutons.

For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, please visit my Kitchen Resource page

I love how quickly this soup can come together for dinner. I first made it on a snowy Sunday afternoon, but it can easily be made on any weeknight since it only needs to simmer for a little while.

How Do You Make Tomato Basil Soup?

1. Cook the diced vegetables in the butter and olive oil until the onions are tender.
2. Season with salt and pepper and dried basil.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, sugar and chicken stock.
4. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer.
6. Using a hand blender, carefully puree the soup.
7. Add the cream just before serving.
8. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese and croutons.

How Much Cream Should I Use?

The amount of cream in this recipe is left out on purpose!  That’s because it’s completely up to you how much you want to put in.  Any where from a splash to a half cup will add a nice amount of creaminess to the tomato basil soup.  The cream, like the sugar, also helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Why Should I Use Dried Basil Instead of Fresh?

I am using dried basil in this recipe because that’s what I had on hand at the time.  Basil is not an herb that looks pretty when it is heated – it just turns black!  So for these reasons, I am sticking with dried basil.  You could substitute some of the fresh basil just before you puree the soup mixture, but I would not garnish the soup with it.

How Do You Thicken Homemade Soup?

In this recipe, the pureed vegetables, along with the cream, help make the soup thicker.  If you wish to omit the cream, you could also add a couple of tablespoons of flour with water until it is smooth to make a slurry.  Add it to the pot and mix it in well.

The homemade tomato basil soup is pretty amazing by itself, but when you add the homemade garlic croutons, it’s a total home run!

What is Good to Eat with Tomato Basil Soup?

• These homemade garlic basil croutons are awesome, of course! You can make these croutons ahead if you prefer and store them in an airtight container. It’s a good way to use up stale bread.  
• Our Garlic and Herb Cheese Bombs would also make a yummy addition to this meal.
• Grilled cheese and tomato soup always go together! For a more grown up version that compliments the basil, try this Pesto Grilled Cheese recipe from Baking Mischief.

Make Ahead and Freezer  Tips

Tomato Basil Soup makes an awesome make ahead or freezer meal. If that’s your goal do NOT add the cream until you are ready to serve.  It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just not as good, if you know what I mean. 

1. Let the soup cool completely.
2. Pour your soup into containers (I love using these containers with tight lids for freezing soups. 
3. Put the lids on tight. 
4. Mark the contents and date with a marker and slide it into the refrigerator or freezer. 

This will keep for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or up to about 4 months in the freezer.

Pro Tip: Use a wide mouth funnel to ladle the soup into the containers without making a mess!

More Yummy Soup Recipes:

• Minestrone Soup – Bowl Me Over
• Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup – Wholesome Yum
• Easy Black Bean Soup  – Veggie Inspired

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Italian Style Chicken Sausage Soup