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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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.
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. ;)