Tomato Soup Recipe (Classic Restaurant Style)

tomato soup in a black wooden bowl with a silver spoon and topped with bread croutons and parsley

4.91 from 122 votes

Tomato Soup Recipe (Classic Restaurant Style)

This easy and classic Tomato Soup recipe makes a creamy, rich tomato soup that's perfect for enjoying as a hearty lunch or light dinner. Zesty fresh tomatoes and real cream create a truly comforting, velvety and smooth restaurant style tomato soup from scratch - in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Soup, Starters

Cuisine: American, World

Diet: Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For the soup

2 tablespoons Butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaf or tej patta (small to medium-sized) - fresh or dried. can reduce to 1 leaf if preferred
⅓ cup onions - finely chopped
½ teaspoon garlic - finely chopped
500 grams (6 to 7 medium to large) grams tomatoes
1 cup water or low-sodium vegetable broth
salt as required
1 teaspoon raw sugar or white sugar, add according to taste
freshly crushed black pepper - as required

For the croutons

½ cup bread cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 light pinch salt
1 to 2 pinches freshly crushed black pepper

For garnish

1 tablespoon parsley - chopped or add coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream - optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cooking Tomatoes

Heat butter until it melts in a saucepan or a pot. Keep the heat to low or medium-low.
Add bay leaves and sauté for a few seconds. Add chopped onions and garlic. Stir and sauté until onions soften for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix well.
Cover pan and simmer on a low to medium-low heat until tomatoes soften or for about 8 to 10 minutes.
There is no need to add water. But do keep an eye when the tomatoes are simmering. If the liquids dry up then add a splash of water and continue cooking.
After the tomatoes have softened, remove from the heat and cool.
Remember to pick out the bay leaves (or tej patta if you have used it) and discard.

Blending and Straining Pureed Tomatoes

Once the tomato mixture has cooled to a point that’s safe to work with, add it to a blender jar. You can also use an immersion blender.
Blend to a smooth consistency.
You have the option of straining the puree through a strainer for an even smoother soup, but this step isn’t necessary.
If you do choose to strain the puree, move a spoon through it so that everything is strained except the seeds.

Simmering Tomato Soup

Pour the tomato puree back into the pot, and add water and sugar. Mix and stir well.
Simmer on a low heat until the soup becomes hot but not boiling.
Season with freshly crushed black pepper and stir.
Turn off the heat. Remove the pan from the stovetop and place it on your kitchen countertop.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream depending on desired richness.
Mix well evenly. Taste a bit of the soup, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Making Croutons

When the tomato mixture is cooling, you can make the bread croutons. Mix together the bread cubes, olive oil, salt and freshly crushed black pepper in a baking tray. Toss to coat.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 3 to 5 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) until bread cubes are golden and crisp.
Or, you can toast the bread cubes in a skillet until golden brown on all sides.
Pour the hot tomato soup into bowls. Add the croutons directly on top of the soup, or serve on the side.
You can also garnish the tomato soup with a bit of freshly chopped parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro) or basil sprigs or mint leaves.
This soup is great served fresh, but also keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 days.

Video

Notes

Ingredients swaps

Butter: Instead of butter you can use olive oil or sunflower oil.
Cream: Instead of heavy cream you can use coconut cream or cashew cream

Ingredient Notes

Tomatoes: Use fresh and very ripe red tomatoes. Avoid using tomatoes which are unripe, as they’ll likely have a sour taste.
Butter: You could use salted butter or unsalted butter.
Onions: You could use red onions, white onions and even shallots.
Herbs: Feel free to add herbs like celery stems or basil to the soup for even more flavor. For celery add 1 tablespoon of chopped celery with the tomatoes. For basil, include 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves when the tomatoes are softened and cooked. Mix and simmer for a minute.

Recipe Tips:

Ingredient proportions: There is just the right balance of tanginess from the tomatoes and sweetness from the sugar and cream in this recipe. So be sure to follow the recipe precisely so that you don’t add too much of any one element and throw off this delicate ratio.
Skipping onions: You can skip the onions in the soup if you prefer, but I suggest that you add garlic.
Straining the blended tomatoes: Though this step is not essential but for a smoother creamier consistency, I suggest to strain the blended tomatoes.
Consistency: For a slightly thin soup, you could add a bit more water or vegetable broth. But do not make the soup watery or runny as the flavors and taste would go off balance.

Nutrition