I’m constantly looking for new ways to use my favorite (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce in recipes because it’s just SO good. So, the other day I was thinking, “Hmmm, I wonder if I can just make it into a really tasty soup.” The answer is yes. Yes, that deliciously tangy, herb-infused sauce is the great beginning to a super fast, easy, and delicious homemade Tomato Herb Soup.
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What Does Tomato Herb Soup Taste Like?
This tomato herb soup is not your everyday canned condensed tomato soup. It’s not sugary sweet, it’s fairly thick, very rich, and has tons of herby flavor. The magic comes from the melange of dried herbs and the quick act of caramelizing the tomato paste to create a rich sweetness. So yum and it gets better as it refrigerates. Oh, did I mention that it just happens to be VEGAN?
What to Serve with Tomato Herb Soup
A classic grilled cheese sandwich is never a bad idea, but you could also do something like Homemade Garlic Bread, Pesto Cheese Toast, or drop a few Homemade Croutons on top, and make a super simple salad to go on the side.
Is it Freezer Friendly?
Yes, this soup holds up really well to freezing, so feel free to stash a couple servings in there for later! I try to use up my frozen foods within three months for best quality, but you may get a longer life out of it. In the refrigerator, the soup should stay good for about 4-5 days.
Tomato Herb Soup
Servings 5 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 cloves garlic* ($0.16)
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.64)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary ($0.03)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.39)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes ($0.79)
- 3 cups vegetable broth ($0.39)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and add it to a sauce pot along with the olive oil, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-low and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic has softened.
- Add the tomato paste and brown sugar. Stir until everything is mixed (the oil may stay partially separated). Cook the mixture while stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes, or until the tomato paste takes on a darker, almost burgundy hue.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Whisk the mixture together until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium and heat through, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.
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Equipment
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Tomato Herb Soup – Step by Step Photos
Start by adding ¼ cup olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, and some freshly cracked black pepper to a sauce pot. Turn the heat on to medium-low and sauté the herbs in the oil for about two minutes, or until the garlic has softened.
Add 6 oz. tomato paste and 1 Tbsp brown sugar to the pot. Stir until everything is pretty well combined (the oil may never fully mix in). Continue to stir and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a darker burgundy hue (see photo below).
Add one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes are smaller bits than diced tomatoes, but not quite as smooth as tomato sauce. It’s somewhere in between, and doesn’t have any seasoning added.
Also add 3 cups of vegetable broth, which will thin the soup out, add depth of flavor, and just the right amount of salt. I use this Better Than Bouillon to quickly mix up the exact amount of broth that I need.
Then just whisk everything together and heat through! The end! The flavors are even better the next day.
OMG – grilled cheese + tomato soup FTW!
Now give yourself a high-five for making such a delicious soup in under 30 minutes.
FANTASY, easy, healthy, budget friendly, but also, did I say? FANTASTIC!!!
I made this as written, and it wasn’t really that impressive. It was pretty bland as a stand alone, but was good for grilled cheese dunking.
I’m unlikely to try this again, but if I did I’d probably add more veggies, salt, and/or basil or pesto.
It was very easy to make with standard pantry items.
Love that you show step by step pictures.
Simple and very tasty! I used an immersion blender and topped it with some roasted chickpeas for extra protein.
it was yummy, but I’d omit or even just half the tomato paste. the end result was too bitter for me 😭
I chose this recipe to have a heartier bowl of soup compared to the canned options. I loved that the ingredients are shelf-stable! The flavor was great, but the children in the house didn’t love the chunks of tomatoes. I might try again with an immersion blender at the end or substitute the crushed tomatoes with tomatoes. Still would recommend!
Can you add cream to this at the end to make it creamier?
Of course, you can, Sam! It will be wonderful! So it’s not too watery, I would substitute the 3 cups of broth with 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 1/2 cups of broth. You may also want to add a bit more salt to compensate for a bit less broth. Add the 2 1/2 cups of broth when directed. Once you get to the end of the recipe, turn off the heat and then stir in the cream. Taste and just the seasonings.
We also have another recipe — Secret Ingredient Tomato Soup — that is vegan but amazingly creamy with the addition of some secret ingredients (nutritional yeast and white beans)! https://www.budgetbytes.com/secret-ingredient-tomato-soup/
~Marion :)
Oh no! I saved the link to the secret ingredient tomato soup and it no longer works (this one also links to a different recipe). Fingers crossed you bring it back! It was my favorite for adding a bit more protein to an easy, tasty tomato soup.
Love tomato soup
Can I use a large can of tomato sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes? That’s what I have on hand.
Go for it. THe texture will be a touch different, but it will still be yummy. XOXO -Monti
This recipe was just ok for me. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either. It was a little too close to tomato pasta sauce. What I did like was the simplicity of the recipe and the rich flavors. It’s definitely better than canned tomato soup.
Hi BB buddies! I’m wondering if there’s any reason why NOT to “blend” this recipe and the “secret ingredient tomato soup” recipe and add the blended beans and nutritional yeast to this one for tomato herb soup. Other than those 2 ingredients, and more broth/tomato paste…the seem quite similar (and then I’m not putting 1/2 of the tomato paste into the freezer.) There may be some reason…just curious and thought I’d ask. #SoupSundays
I threw this together for lunch today – pantry staples and a half-can of diced tomatoes that needed to be used. So, so good. Thank you, Beth, for another invincible recipe!
This is my all time favorite tomato soup recipe. It’s easy, delicious and the kids love it.
I have to say I think this is my favorite Budget Bytes recipe so far. It’s so delicious, easy, and affordable. I love to eat it with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Classic comfort food at its best! :)
Best Tomato Soup! This is a repeat in our homes and we pair with Beth’s Spinach/Artichoke grilled cheese. Today were making it in the instant pot.
Quick, flavorful, and satisfying. Used chicken better than bouillon because that’s what I had. In a pinch could see using “leftovers” as a pasta or pizza sauce. It’s that good.
Just made this and it was by far the easiest tomato soup I’ve ever made – will definitely be making it again. I remember the tomato base from your tangy tomato pasta, I used to live off that when I was a poor university student!
This tomato soup is easy to make and delicious! I will make it again. Bonus: my husband likes it too!
This is my go-to tomato soup! My 5 year-old declared this his favorite!
Thank you!
JP
What’s the sugar content in this soup. It’s not in the nutritional value information. I have to watch my sugar intake.
I’m sorry, I don’t have that information.
This is a family favorite! So good & easy to make.
I just had to leave a review to say how life changing this soup was for me! I’ve never understood the hype around “grilled cheese and tomato soup” because I always thought tomato soup from the can was gross. I finally decided to try this recipe to see if I could find a way to enjoy the combo, and oh my goodness, what a difference!!! Seriously SO good. I froze half the batch and had it again a couple weeks later and it was just as good out of the freezer as it was fresh! My husband and 2 year old loved it as well. We will definitely be having this again!
I’m so glad this changed your mind about tomato soup! :D
buona grazie
This was great! easy, cheap and delicious, I ate it with some garlic bread. I used 2 cans of 15oz tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatos.
This was so good! Such a simple recipe to pull together for a quick dinner. Didn’t have broth so substituted water + 3 T of nutritional yeast and was still very flavorful. Also had some leftover cream that I threw in and that really threw it over the edge :)
Made it and then decided to do what my grandma used to do with tomato soup- add small sized noodles (farfalle in this case) and grated some Colby cheese over it all. Tasted delicious- like my childhood but upgraded with the toasted spices. Thanks Beth!
Tasted more like marina sauce than tomato soup. I like BB recipes, this one was just too savory for my taste.
I will never buy canned tomato soup again. This recipe tastes awesome and is so easy to make!
I just made the soup and can’t explain how appetizing and sinful this recipe is… It’s an absolute healthy delight everyone can have every day.. Thanks so much for sharing!
So easy to make and simple recipe. I love tomato soup.
Hi Beth! Did you drop your recipe for Super Quick Tomato Soup (the one with the breadcrumbs)? It’s my family’s favorite but I can’t find it anymore! Thanks!
Hi Erin! Shoot us an email at support at budgetbytes.com and we’ll get you all set.
I am a bit confused by the nutritional information- it says 7 cups, which I take to mean the whole pot. So do the nutritional data refer to the whole batch of soup, or 1 cup?
The recipe makes 7 cups. But the nutritional information is per cup. Enjoy!
Holy cow. This is amazing.
So simple to make, too! I love this site.
This is a keeper. I’m going to make sure I have a the ingredients for this it’s a great emergency meal. Also those blocks of cheddar, 8 oz store for a while in the fridge unopened for emergency grilled cheese!
This is very good recipe but its missing one MAIN ingredient
Salt!
She uses better than boullion in recipes and omits salt because that stuff is salty already
One of my absolute favorite recipes! I add in some cayenne because I think it combats the natural sweetness of tomatoes. I also use chicken brother over vegetable broth – mostly because that’s just what I have on hand. All together just totally astounding and so simple. Perfect to pair with a grilled cheese ;)
lmao this is my second review of this recipe because I love it SO much, I forgot I’ve already rated it!
Probably the best tomato soup I’ve ever had.
I do make some alterations. I add way more garlic (because I’m a garlic fiend) and cayenne because I think the spice only does good things for the natural tomato sweetness. I also typically prefer to use chicken broth but I still use the cubes because it means I don’t have to add additional salt!
Can’t have too much garlic!
Hi there !
just made this amazing tomato soup (little extra garlic) !! Never buy canned soup ! You rocked this one out of the park !!
“thanks for the recipe !!”
OH wow ! My luncheon guests said “Better than Panera” , and I agreed.
I used BRAGG brand Organic Sprinkle 24 herbs & Spices seasoning 1 1/4 tsp in place of the individual herbs. Tried out mt new immersion blender. Added some milk to the leftover for hubby and me next day and it was wonderful also..
So happy to read that it freezes well.
.
Just made this for the first time and holy cow.
It’s delicious as-is, but with a splash or two of half-and-half (I think I’ll add it to taste per bowl), it will very easily replace my busy/exhausted-night reliance on Panera’s creamy tomato soup, while being much cheaper and healthier to boot.
Thanks for another awesome recipe, Beth!
Great idea
For a few years now I have made the same basic soup with crushed tomatoes, broth, and garlic. I never thought of an herb-infused version. Sounds yummy. Must try this recipe this week. I have a can of crushed tomatoes calling my name. Other options I have taken with the basic recipe are a splash of evaporated milk topped with cracked pepper or chopped herb & topped with grated cheddar and chopped green onion. I love forward to trying this version. Looks like big flavor.
I have made this soup many times and it is always my go too. It is really good, easy, and fast. Now that I have made it numerous times, sometimes I switch it up a bit depending what I have. Thrown in a little cream at the end to make it decadent. Add onions with the garlic. Use fresh basil when the tomatoes are added instead of dry. It is so versatile and easy to make when running low on groceries! It is better the next day, so I usually make it at least a day in advance. It freezes well too.
Just looking at the recipe, it’s basically 50%/50% of Tomatoes and broth. It seems with that much broth you wouldn’t be able to taste the tomatoes. I just got done doing 14#’s of tomatoes and I don’t want to waste them.
Otherwise it sounds like a good recipe.
I’ve made this soup before and it is fantastic.
Wanted to make it again tonight but I screwed up and bought tomato puree instead of crushed tomatoes. I deserve to sleep on the floor for that.
Would it be a terrible idea to make the same recipe but substitute the crushed tomatoes with puree?
It might work, just make sure your puree doesn’t have a lot of extra salt or spices added in (often onion or garlic powder) because that may change how you season the soup as a whole.
The Tomato Herb Soup is so freaking good!! I served it with grilled cheese sandwiches, and my sister LOVED it!!! Thanks, Beth for this awesome recipe!!! :-)
My husband, who normally isn’t a fan of tomato soup, absolutely raved about this. Thanks, Beth, for such an easy, delicious recipe! We’ll definitely be making this a lot more in the future.
I don’t care for vegetable broth. Would you use chicken or beef broth as a substitute?
Sure! I think chicken would be best in this case.
Thanks Rose I had the same question
This was delicious with a grilled cheese sandwich. I added a scoop of cooked rice, some canned beans and a bit of shredded cheese to a leftover portion and that was really tasty and a great way to stretch leftovers inexpensively. Thanks!
Absolutely outstanding! Had field roma tomatoes that I had cooked down. Used basically four cups of them to make the soup. Only used 2T EVOO. Originally, the soup was very acidic (due to the tomatoes). I added 2 t of baking soda to neutralize the acid. Tasted wonderful. You cannot take the baking soda at all.
Going to get more field tomatoes and cook multiple batches and freeze
I love this soup and make it frequently but forgot to add the brown sugar this time. Can I add it after the fact?
It will probably still help dull the acidity, yes. :)
this was excellent! Definitely putting this on our “make again” list!
Wow, this was delicious, especially using homemade veggie stock.
Super simple and delicious. I recently paired this with your caramelized onion and artichoke flatbread and the combination was absolutely divine. I pretty much always have the ingredients for this recipe in my pantry, so it’s quick and easy when I need it. I make it with tomato sauce now instead of crushed tomatoes because I tried it both ways and found I preferred the smoother texture of the sauce without the pieces of tomato. It’s great as an add on to a meal, or paired with grilled cheese (not to mention much cheaper than canned tomato soups). Love it!
This has been by go-to tomato soup since you posted it. Tonight, I had half a 28 oz can of fire roasted dice tomatoes left over from something else. So, I made the soup with half regular and half fire roasted tomatoes (and used the immersion blender to smooth it out). I’m super happy with it! Smoky tomato soup… Yes!
I was looking for a tomato soup that had a bit more richness and flavor, and when I saw that you used tomato paste in this one, I thought this should be good.
And wow- it was awesome! It has now become my default tomato soup recipe. It is just sooo good.
I wonder if I will be able to add some cream without it curdling- I’ve had that problem in the past when I’ve tried to make cream of tomato soup.
I think the trick is to not have the heat on? If you let it simmer after adding it, I think that’s when it curdles.
Thanks Beth- that makes sense. I have one portion left in my freezer- I am going to re-heat it and then add milk. I’ll report back!!
I can not stop talking about how much I love this soup!!!!! After cooking I split the recipe in half and added heavy whipping cream to mine and left my husbands (he’s lactose intolerant) plain. I will never be able to go back to canned soup again! Thank you so much!
Forgot to mention, I had it cold/room temp and it was just as good!
I was given alot of ‘fresh-of-the-vine’ tomatoes; made this soup, doubled the batch and froze it by one serving soup bowl sizes in freezer bag. Filled each bag (once cooled) with 3 laddles worth of soup. Placed them on a cookie sheet, froze them and now I have 8 discs of delicious soup. You could taste the freshness and spices.
Just wanted to say thank you for posting this recipe! I am not a huge tomato soup fan, but I do love this one. I think what I haven’t liked about tomato soup is the sugar and the cream–this one is, as you said, more like a marinara sauce (and I do love a good tomato sauce!). So–thank you.
I made this to go with your spinach feta grilled cheese (man oh man, so yummy!) but the soup unexpectedly ended up being the hit of the meal. I’d never had anything but Campbell’s tomato soup before, so this was quite a revelation!
I have been snowed in lately and this recipe is AMAZING for something I could just throw together with what I have in my cupboard! Thanks for another winner.
Hello!!
My husband gets his wisdom teeth out next week so I’m been looking for easy to make/eat soup recipes. If I don’t use the bullion would regular pre-made veggie broth be ok still?
Yes, absolutely. You may need to adjust the salt at the end depending on how much is in the brand of broth that you use.
I love bits of onions in my tomato soup. Do you think it would mess things up to add onions in the first step, to cook along with the garlic and herbs?
That would work just fine. :)
So easy and so good, I’ll be making this often!
Hey Beth, I made this tonight and it was really tangy. Any ideas of what I might have done wrong and what I could do to make it better next time?
Tanginess is usually due to the natural acidity of the tomatoes, which can be dampened with sugar. Some people are a little more sensitive to the acidity than others, so you can try adding a little more brown sugar. :)
I absolutely love, love, LOVE soup. Making and eating it, especially with a slice of crispy french bread or grilled cheese (totally paired this with the spinach and feta panini… AKA Grilled cheese for adults; it was definitely a party in my mouth!) added bonus: its definitely soup season now, which may or may not be year round in my house. Overall, this recipe is the bomb, I like mine a little spicy so I definitely added a bit of siracha to the mix. I’d give this more stars if I could, but it only allows for 5. Keep it rockin’!
Just gotta say I love this recipe. I’ve taken to adding two roasted and pureed red peppers too, which is absolutely lovely! Just about to sit down with some grilled cheese and chow, thanks!
Hey Beth,
When using Better than Bouillon, do you premix the broth or do you just add water and the bouillon separately?
It usually depends on the recipe. If it’s something that shouldn’t really be stirred much, like rice, I’ll premix the water and BTB. For soups and other things that will be stirred often, I just go ahead and add the water and BTB to the pot and let them mix as I stir. For a recipe like this, you can add the water and BTB to the pot without premixing. :)
I just made this. I used 2 cans of beef broth because it was handy. This is amazing! Thank you!!!!
I tried out this recipe, it was good! It had a nice italian flair to it. I did make a change because I like my tomato soup on the creamy side. I substituted one of the cups of broth with almond milk. Real good-real cheap. Thanks for posting this – I will make it again!
I forgot to say, I added my own mini meatballs, but even without them it would be delicious.
This recipe is simply delicious, I will never buy canned tomato soup again!
I gave some to my parents, they loved it too.
So good! I’ve been missing tomato soup (they don’t seem to have it here in Spain)! I followed this exactly (even chopping the thyme) and it was wonderful and so easy! Great mix of herbs!
Can I use plain tomato sauce in place of the crushed tomatoes?
I have a crowd to feed and no time to run to the store.
Tomato sauce has some other herbs and spices (and more salt) than crushed tomatoes, so the flavor may differ, but it might still be good!
I substituted diced tomatoes this time and it came out fine. Not as rich but still good.
This is my new favourite tomato soup. I love that it doesn’t use any cream base or addition, and the spice blend is great. I’ve made it a few times and added a little balsamic vinegar and wine to give the flavor something more wintery. It turned out great. Thanks for sharing!
Is this recipe freezer friendly??
Yes, definitely. :)
I made this tonight and added meatballs and ditalini noodles. My young boys ate it up! You’ve done it again, Beth!
i added some meat-filled tortellini to mine (cuz it’s been sitting in the freezer unused for way too long), and it was excellent.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was very tasty. Will make again.
Made this twice already, love it so much. Tonight I blended roasted red pepper in with the crushed tomatoes. This soup is so clutch! And, as a vegan, thanks for all your wonderful vegan and vegan-izable recipes!
Also! I read here or on facebook that your book won’t have step-by-step photos! That is my absolute favorite part of your blog, I hope someday you can make one with the in-progress pics (though I’m sure it’ll cost more…).
I think I’ll buy a copy anyway though, because I love the free recipes on the blog so much :)
thanks again!
This is cookin up on my stove right now!
I used “better than boullion” chicken broth instead of vegetable since that’s what I had on hand. I also added a little extra salt, and it tastes like it’s gonna be yummy! I also have some home made bread in the oven at the same time. Can’t wait! :D
WOW! I was extremely skeptical as I am particular about tomato soups but this was seriously delicious and seriously cheap. Even my tomato soup hating roommate loved it (she stole two bowls from me!). 10/10 will make again.
Mmm so wonderful! Had this with grilled cheese on my sick and it cheered me right up!
You made a different version of tomato soup last year or the year before last. I make it all the time, it’s delicious. Differences: you used chicken base instead of vegetable base, and there’s rosemary and thyme in this one.
Tomato soup is my absolute favorite! And this recipe was so much better than canned varieties! I hate buying processed food, and this was a perfect alternative! I also added a can of white beans for protein. I think next time I will try adding small pasta to it, like shells or maccaroni. Either way, it was absolutely delicious!
Orecchiette is also a hearty pasta to add to soups, but for me it is hard to find.
Delicious, easy and perfect. As usual. Thanks for what you do!
I am making this again already tonight! :) One of my favorite appetizers at the local fancy restaurant is spicy marinara & goat cheese served with pita chips for dipping. I learned from a friend that the spicy marinara is just regular marinara with Sriracha. I am going to use some of tonight’s batch of tomato soup and try to spice it up & add some goat cheese we happen to have at home. Yum!
I am making this again already tonight! :) One of my favorite appetizers at the local fancy restaurant is spicy marinara & goat cheese served with pita chips for dipping. I learned from a friend that the spicy marinara is just regular marinara with Sriracha. I am going to use some of tonight’s batch of tomato soup and try to spice it up & add some goat cheese we happen to have at home. Yum!
This recipe was AWESOME. I am lucky enough to own a hand blender so I used that at the end to blend the small chunks of tomato from the crushed tomatoes and the resulting texture was PERFECT. Our grilled cheese & tomato soup dinner felt downright gourmet!
Made this as a starter for a dinner party tonight (gluten-free required). It was incredibly easy, delicious and went down wonderfully. As always, I can’t thank you enough, Beth!
Looks delicious and perfect for this time of year :)
I LOVE tomato soup. I once had to do a carb-less, sugarless and yestless diet (4 VERY LONG months) due to belly issues, and watching my family eat pasta made me cry. I heated just plain organic passata and added olive oil, herbs and spices, and was all warm and conforted again. We don’t have that tomato paste here in switzerland..never heard of it before you
I don’t know if you are in the French part of Switzerland, but if you are, tomato paste is concentré de tomate. Hope this helps!
I love tomato soup, especially when the weather is cooler. The colour is stunning!
As if I wasn’t enjoying the recipe enough – Liz Lemon is the icing on the cake!
Could you perhaps substitute the vegetable broth for chicken?
Absolutely. :)
I’m not a tomato soup fan, but I love your (not) sundried tomato sauce so I’ll have to give it a try. Grilled cheese was already on my menu this week, so this recipe is great timing.
Also, I love 30 Rock and that Liz Lemon gif!
If all you’ve ever tasted came in a can, I understand this–but there are many wonderful versions of tomato soup, of which this is only one. Toward the top of the list, I will say, and toward the top of the lower calorie list as no cream or butter, and only about 50 calories of olive oil per serving. I made it for supper last night. Another terrific recipe, Beth!
This looks fantastic! I was looking for an easy tomato soup recipe, which is a very unusual dish in Spain and I really wanted to try it for once. I love tomatos and I love marinara, I’ve got to love this soup too!
This looks delicious! A great recipe for cooler days. I am definitely trying this. Thanks for sharing!
So, this sounds strange, I love the flavor of rosemary but hate that I feel like I’m biting into pine needles! Silly I know, but to avoid this would blending the soup at the end be an acceptable option? I’d hate to some how ruin it, but would like to partake in the deliciousness.
Yes, I almost mentioned this in the post, but forgot! I would suggest chopping up the dried rosemary before adding it to the recipe. You can just take a chef’s knife and chop it up roughly (kind of like if you were mincing some garlic) to make it into smaller pieces. Or, if you have a small food grinder of some sort, you can use that.
This is one classy soup! Yum!
Things you can never have enough of: soup recipes and Liz Lemon gifs. Well played, Beth. Well played.
I agree with both parts of that statement. ;)