This (Almost No Effort) Homemade Tomato Soup is perfection – bright, peak-tomato flavor accentuated by a hit of red wine vinegar, richness from a little butter and a finish of creme fraiche, and a beautiful orangey-red hue. There is no better tomato soup to serve alongside your favorite grilled cheese.

If you have a well-stocked pantry, chances are you have the ingredients on hand to make this tomato soup tonight. The recipe itself is basically Marcella Hazaan’s famous tomato sauce made into something spoonable. Other than quartering an onion and smashing some garlic, no knife work is required. The “hardest” part of the cooking is transferring the simmered soup to a blender to blitz it until it’s silky smooth.

Make It Yours

• Canned chopped tomatoes or tomato puree would both work in place of the whole peeled.
• Vegetable broth or any other favorite broth can be substituted for the chicken broth.
• You could use a little fresh thyme or oregano in place of the basil.
• You could use heavy cream or half and half in place of the creme fraiche.
• Feel free to substitute lemon juice or white wine vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar.
• Add in cooked ravioli, tortellini or orzo and shower with parmesan for a delicious tomato-noodle soup.
• Serve with grilled cheese (duh), garlic bread or french bread.

If you’d like to watch me make this “live”, you can see that here. If you make it, report back and tag me in a photo on @whatweeat.nyc on Instagram. I love seeing how you make my recipes yours.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

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Want more soup? Here are a few others I love.

(ALMOST NO EFFORT) HOMEMADE TOMATO SOUP

Note: I received some feedback that this soup was on the thin side, which works well for dipping grilled cheese but maybe less so if enjoying it on its own. If you’d like your tomato soup on the thicker side, start with 1 cup of broth and reserve the extra cup to add as necessary after blending.

Ingredients

• 1 32 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered (root end left on)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 sprigs fresh basil (divided)
• Parm rind (optional but highly recommended)
• 1/4 cup crème fraiche
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice or white wine vin)
• Salt/pepper

Method

1. Simmer tomatoes with liquid, butter, onion, garlic, chicken broth, salt and 1 sprig basil in soup pot over medium low heat for 30 minutes, maintaining a gentle bubbling throughout. With tongs, remove onion, parm rind and cooked basil. Transfer soup to blender, add in leaves from second fresh basil sprig and blitz until totally smooth. Return to soup pot and stir in crème fraiche and vinegar. Check seasoning and correct with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Serves 4 people