Best Ever- Homemade Tomato Soup- Instant Pot Option

Making homemade tomato soup is my favorite way to use the abundance of fresh tomatoes and fresh basil in my garden each summer.  There is no need to peel the tomatoes when you make this soup.  Carrots are my secret ingredient for tomato soup.  Carrots naturally sweeten tomato soup and reduce the acidity of the tomatoes.  You will love the sweet, creamy taste of this tomato soup recipe.  I have included stovetop and Instant Pot instructions for you.  This recipe is the best homemade tomato soup, and I highly recommend eating a grilled cheese sandwich on the side!

There is nothing like a warm bowl of tomato soup with toasted grilled cheese on the side for dunking.  Once you start making homemade tomato soup, canned tomato soup won’t do it for you anymore.  Every summer, I make several batches of tomato soup and freeze portions for when I want some homemade soup.   This is an excellent way to cook your garden tomatoes.

Will Canned Tomatoes work with this recipe?

Yes! You can use canned tomatoes to make this soup if you don’t have any fresh tomatoes.  I recommend using high-quality plum tomatoes such as Red Gold or San Marzano tomatoes; using Canned tomatoes will have a slightly different texture but is an excellent option for times when you don’t have fresh tomatoes available.

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Ingredients needed:

One medium onion

1 tbsp of olive oil or butter

1 tsp minced garlic, about two fresh garlic cloves

One tablespoon of Italian seasoning or dried basil OR 5-6 fresh basil leaves

10-12 garden fresh garden tomatoes

Six carrots

16 ounces of vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup of milk or heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Stovetop instructions

In a large pot or dutch oven over. Medium or medium-low heat, 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 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Turn off the heat and let it cool a little. Using your immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth, and add milk or cream if desired.

What if my soup turns out too thin?

I don’t usually have to thicken this soup. However, if your soup turns out too thin, feel free to remove one ladle full of hot soup into a bowl and create a slurry with cornstarch or all-purpose flour. Add the soup back into the pot to thicken it.

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 the soup with an immersion blender.  Add the desired amount of milk or cream as you are about to eat it.

Tomato soup topping ideas

Fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and oyster or goldfish crackers make great garnishes for your tomato soup.  If you like to add spice, red pepper flakes or hot sauce also tastes fantastic on top of this tomato soup.

Storage

Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Tomatoes are high in fiber and contain protein. This soup has much less sodium and carbohydrates than canned tomato soup. This meal is also low in cholesterol and can be low in calories if you watch it on the heavy cream.

Did you make this homemade tomato soup? I would love to hear how it turned out for you!   Please comment below this blog post or tag me on social media. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.