Best Tomato Soup

Name: Best Tomato Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 qt.
Ingredients: 4 tbsp. unsalted butter; 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 c.); 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 c.); 1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (about 1 c.); 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided; 2 tbsp. tomato paste; 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes; 1 1/2 c. tomato juice (from a 12-oz. can); 1 tbsp. light brown sugar; 1/2 c. heavy cream, plus more for drizzling; 1/4 c. fresh basil leaves

By Taylor Ann SpencerUpdated: Sep 8, 2023

5 Ratings

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preview for Our Tomato Soup Uses 3 Types Of Tomato For Maximum Flavor

Tomato soup is often a mediocre backup singer for a grilled cheese sandwich, but with this recipe, we’re pulling it into the spotlight and making it exceptional. Where other soups go heavy with the basil or Parm, we chose to focus on the star of the show in our recipe—three types of tomatoes blended with a generous splash of heavy cream creates a soup that’s rich and robust, with big flavor and a super-creamy finish. If you’ve never made homemade tomato soup before, read on below for all of our top tips on how to make this scene-stealing soup the best it can be:

How to make the best tomato soup:
Many typical tomato soup recipes begin by cooking down sliced onions and maybe a little garlic for the base; however, when I was developing this recipe, I took a cue from chef Neal Harden who I worked for at vegetarian restaurant abcV in New York, whose tomato soup is (still!) the best I have ever tasted. He cooks down fennel and celery in addition to the onion to form a complex, aromatic base for the tomatoes. And although many of my current coworkers were skeptical—particularly about the fennel—they all agreed that the vegetables melded seamlessly into the soup and actually intensified the flavor of the tomato.

All about the tomatoes:
This recipe is also distinct from most tomato soup recipes in that it uses three different iterations of tomato: tomato paste, canned whole tomatoes, and canned tomato juice. Sautéing tomato paste with the cooked-down vegetables until it becomes deeply caramelized intensifies the sweetness of the tomato, adding a richness that almost mimics the flavor of an oven-roasted tomato. And using tomato juice to thin out the soup instead of chicken stock or water (which many recipes call for) ensures that the tomato flavor continues to shine through, undiluted.

Storage:
This tomato soup is great the day it’s made, but it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating it in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, but if you want to use the microwave, stop and stir every 30 seconds so the soup heats evenly and doesn’t start to boil around the edges. Too much aggressive heat will change the soup’s flavor—and this is one tomato soup that’s too good to ruin on the reheat.

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Yields:: 2 qt.
Prep Time:: 10 mins
Total Time:: 50 mins

Ingredients

4 tbsp.
unsalted butter
2
stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 c.)
1/2
yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 c.)
1/2
small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (about 1 c.)
2 tsp.
kosher salt, divided
2 tbsp.
tomato paste
1/4 tsp.
crushed red pepper flakes
2
(28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 c.
tomato juice (from a 12-oz. can)
1 tbsp.
light brown sugar
1/2 c.
heavy cream, plus more for drizzling
1/4 c.
fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Step 1In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery, onion, fennel, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
2. Step 2Add whole tomatoes with their juices, tomato juice, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, mashing down on tomatoes with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to break into large pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Step 3Transfer half of tomato mixture to a standard blender and blend until smooth (or use an immersion blender and puree in pot). Pour blended soup into a large bowl and repeat with remaining tomato mixture. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until warmed through (do not let it boil); season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
4. Step 4Divide soup among bowls. Drizzle with cream and top with basil.