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.
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!