Few meals are as comforting as a warm bowl of tomato soup, especially with a grilled cheese sandwich for dunking. Canned soup is fine, but homemade tomato soup is richer, fresher, and you decide exactly what goes in it.
This roundup gathers the best homemade tomato soup recipes from Fork To Spoon. You’ll find quick Instant Pot versions, a roasted soup made in the air fryer, a dairy-free option, and copycats of restaurant favorites from Panera, Olive Garden, First Watch, and more. Whether you want a weeknight shortcut or a slow-built, velvety bowl, there’s one here for you.
Why Make Tomato Soup at Home?
Homemade tomato soup costs less than takeout, is ready fast, and can be adjusted to your diet. You can make it lighter, creamier, spicier, or vegan. Most of these recipes use pantry staples like canned tomatoes, broth, onion, and garlic, so you can make a batch any time.
Classic and Creative Homemade Tomato Soup Recipes
1. Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup
If you grew up on the red-and-white can, start here. This pressure cooker version recreates the familiar taste of the canned classic without the preservatives. The base is tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, and an Italian seasoning blend, pressure cooked for about 10 minutes. The post also covers easy variations: a spicy version with red pepper flakes or hot sauce, a roasted version, a vegan version with coconut milk, and a chunky version with pasta or rice. Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup – Fork To Spoon +2
👉 Get the recipe: Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup
2. Air Fryer Tomato Soup (Roasted with Fresh Tomatoes)
Roasting gives tomato soup its deepest flavor, and this recipe does it without heating up your oven. Fresh tomatoes, onion, and whole garlic cloves roast in the air fryer until soft and lightly charred. They’re then blended with broth and basil and finished with cream and Parmesan, all in about 40 minutes. Roma or plum tomatoes work best because they’re meatier and less watery. It’s also one of the lightest soups on this list, at 88 calories per serving, and it freezes well, so making a double batch is a good idea. Air Fryer Tomato Soup (Roasted with Fresh Tomatoes) – Fork To Spoon +3
👉 Get the recipe: Air Fryer Tomato Soup
3. 30-Minute Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup
Avoiding dairy doesn’t mean giving up creaminess. This soup uses ripe tomatoes and fresh basil and gets its creamy texture without any dairy, so it works for people with dietary restrictions or anyone who wants a lighter bowl. It’s also vegan-friendly. Serve it with crusty bread or a side salad. Fork To SpoonFork To Spoon
👉 Get the recipe: 30-Minute Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup
4. Madeleine Tomato Basil Soup
This recipe is inspired by La Madeleine’s much-loved tomato basil soup and is ready in under 30 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot. It pressure cooks on high for 15 minutes before being blended and finished with heavy cream and fresh basil. One helpful tip from the recipe: canned San Marzano or fire-roasted tomatoes give the soup a deeper, sweeter flavor.
👉 Get the recipe: Madeleine Tomato Basil Soup
Copycat Restaurant Tomato Soup Recipes
5. Copycat Panera Tomato Soup
Panera’s creamy tomato soup is a café favorite, and this version brings it home. It’s rich and creamy, great for grilled cheese dunking, and much cheaper than takeout. It uses both crushed and diced tomatoes, a little sugar, basil, and garlic powder, plus an optional splash of hot sauce for heat. Using vegetable broth keeps it vegan. If you’re watching sodium, this is a good pick, with 429 mg per serving.
👉 Get the recipe: Copycat Panera Tomato Soup
6. Olive Garden Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup
Pair this one with homemade breadsticks for an Olive Garden night at home. It starts with sautéed onion and garlic, then crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, balanced with a touch of sugar. Fork To Spoon describes it as brighter and more herbaceous than its Nordstrom-style tomato soup, which makes it a good choice if you love lots of basil.
👉 Get the recipe: Olive Garden Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup
7. Copycat Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soup (3 Easy Ways)
This is the most flexible recipe on the list. It needs only seven simple ingredients and includes instructions for the Instant Pot, slow cooker, and stovetop. Shredded carrots and dried basil are sautéed with the onion to build a sweet, savory base. It’s a smart choice if you want a set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker tomato soup.
👉 Get the recipe: Copycat Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soup
8. Copycat Jason’s Deli Tomato Soup
This one is for fans of a thick, velvety bowl. Butter, olive oil, onions, grated carrots, and garlic are softened in the Instant Pot, then tomato paste is cooked for a couple of minutes to deepen the flavor. Whole canned tomatoes and broth cook at high pressure for just 8 minutes before the soup is blended and finished with heavy cream and basil. Fork To SpoonFork To Spoon
👉 Get the recipe: Copycat Jason’s Deli Tomato Soup
9. Easy Homemade Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (First Watch Copycat)
If you have ripe tomatoes on the counter, make this one. It starts with three pounds of fresh ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, onion, and smashed garlic. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, and the recipe suggests adding a pinch of sugar if your tomatoes are especially tangy. Fork To SpoonFork To Spoon
👉 Get the recipe: First Watch Copycat Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
10. Schlotzsky’s Tomato Basil Soup (Copycat Recipe)
This is the newest recipe in the roundup, and it’s rich. It comes together in about 35 minutes with ten ingredients, and its key elements are canned San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste cooked until it darkens, and enough heavy cream to carry the basil. The most useful tip: blend for a full 60 to 90 seconds, because under-blending is the most common reason a copycat doesn’t taste right. Fork To SpoonFork To Spoon
👉 Get the recipe: Schlotzsky’s Tomato Basil Soup
Tips for the Best Homemade Tomato Soup
Choose good tomatoes. Quality canned tomatoes, especially San Marzano or fire-roasted, give you great flavor year-round. In summer, fresh Roma tomatoes are best for roasting.
Cook the tomato paste. Stirring tomato paste into the pot and letting it darken for a couple of minutes adds a deeper, richer flavor.
Balance the acidity. If your soup tastes sharp, a small pinch of sugar smooths it out.
Blend longer than you think. For a café-style, silky texture, keep your immersion blender going well past the point where the soup looks smooth.
Add cream at the end. Stir in cream or a dairy-free substitute after blending, over low heat, so it doesn’t curdle.
What to Serve with Tomato Soup
Grilled cheese is the classic pairing, but crusty bread, garlic bread, homemade croutons, shaved Parmesan, or a crisp green salad are all good choices. To make it a heartier meal, stir cooked pasta or rice into the soup.
Homemade Tomato Soup FAQs
Can I make tomato soup without cream?
Yes. Try the 30-Minute Dairy-Free Tomato Basil Soup, or swap in coconut milk or a plant-based creamer in most of the other recipes.
Which is better, fresh or canned tomatoes?
Both work. Canned tomatoes taste good all year, while fresh tomatoes are best in summer, especially roasted. The Air Fryer Tomato Soup and the First Watch copycat both use fresh tomatoes.
Can I freeze homemade tomato soup?
Yes. For the best texture, freeze it before adding cream, then stir the cream in when you reheat.
What’s the fastest tomato soup recipe here?
The Instant Pot recipes, like the Jason’s Deli and Campbell’s copycats, have the shortest pressure-cook times.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re craving a nostalgic Campbell’s-style bowl, a roasted air fryer soup, or a spot-on Panera copycat, these homemade tomato soup recipes will warm you up all season. Pick one, grab some bread for dipping, and enjoy.
