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Post Update: When I was on vacation in July, I decided that I needed to try my favorite recipe of all time in my new kitchen appliance. You will find further Instant Pot instructions below
Tomato soup is my all-time favorite thing to eat. In fact, there was a time where it was the only thing I knew how to make. My first time living on my own- if a summer subleasing an apartment during college counts- I ate the same thing for dinner every night. Tomato Soup.
The tomato soup I ate during college was canned- not homemade. ( Ewwww can you imagine all that sodium?) I still love canned tomato soup every once in a while, but what I look forward to every year is getting boxes of tomatoes from my in-laws at the end of the summer so I can make homemade tomato soup.
I love making creamy soups. I make carrot-parsnip soup all the time. I love using my immersion blender
So, I bet you’re wondering what this secret ingredient is in my tomato soup. Well, let me explain. I love cooking with tomatoes- especially homemade Italian food. Many Italian tomato sauce recipes call for sugar; otherwise, you get too much tomato-garlic flavor, and the taste is just too acidic. But do you know what the secret ingredient is in tomato sauce- that adds a natural sweetness AND removes the acidity from all those tomatoes?
Carrots. They are magic to any red tomato sauce or any tomato soup.
Many homemade tomato soup recipes call for 1-2 carrots. I added eight carrots. They added such a natural sweetness. I loved this soup so much.
If you don’t have fresh garden tomatoes, your soup can still be fantastic. Find tomatoes at your local farmers market, the store. Or I guess you can use canned tomatoes too- make sure they’re good ones.
I am hooked on the tomatoes growing in our garden, but I still asked my mother-in-law for some of her tomatoes too. I wanted to make lots of soup. I used everything she gave me.
Homemade Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 10-12 tomatoes
- 8 carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 basil leaves
- 16 ounces vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 cups milk or cream optional
Instructions
Stovetop instructions
In a pot, saute chopped onion, minced garlic and chopped carrots in olive oil until the onions are transparent.
Add chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, and basil leaves. Turn the heat down to low and let the flavors simmer for 30 plus minutes- stirring every few minutes.
Turn off heat and let cool a little. Using your immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and add milk or cream if desired.
Instant Pot Option
Set Instant Pot to the saute setting and add olive oil and onion. Saute until the onion is transparent.
Add tomatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and stock.
Close the Instant Pot lid and push the “Soup” setting, or cook for 12 minutes on high pressure.
Let the pressure naturally release. Blend soup with an immersion blender. Add the desired amount of milk or cream as you are about to eat it.
I love this soup. Using fresh tomatoes from the garden in homemade tomato soup is just so amazing! I love getting some teeny seeds on my spoon, and just realizing that what I am eating is garden fresh!
I loved this soup in my Instant Pot. It was so much easier making this again without tomatoes splattering everywhere.
Check out all of my Instant Pot Recipes!
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How many cans of tomato do you and the juice to?
I would use two-3 cans and include the juice
Can you can this in jars? Wondering if I should not add cream until it’s time to eat it if I can?
Yes. you can, can this in jars. And yes. I would still wait until you’re eating it to add the cream.
Can this soup be frozen for later use?
YES! You can freeze it in pyrex or even in a freezer friendly zip loc bag.
Do you peel the tomatoes?
You can. But I didn’t.
if immersion blender used, what are the solids that appear in the picture? looks like shredded cheese or julienned carrots with avocados? or what?
I topped my soup with some smoked cheddar cheese and cheese crackers. But now that you mention avocados, that sounds really good.
I love trying new recipes
THIS SOUP LOOKS FABULOUS! I LOVE THAT YOU ADD CARROTS. I THINK THAT IS BRILLIANT. I WILL BE MAKING THIS SOON.
I do have to say, my grandma makes the best tomato soup ever 😉 I have tried to recreate it, but it never tastes the same.
Thanks! love love love.
That soup looks so good! Carrots are a great secret ingredient with tomatoes. I agree that their natural sweetness is perfect to balance the acidity.