San Marzano tomato soup is a classic tomato soup recipe prepared with mostly pantry ingredients. It’s so simple yet so flavorful.

san marzano tomato soup
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Making Homemade Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes will be your new favorite Life Hack!

Looking for a recipe that will change your cooking game forever? Try our tomato soup recipe. It was passed down from our Italian neighbor years ago and we’ve been making it ever since. It’s by far better than any other variety of tomato soup as it’s sweeter and less acidic, comes together with canned tomatoes and cooks in a single pot! 

Not to mention, it’s ready in just over 30 minutes, it’s smooth, creamy, and perfect for pairing with a grilled cheese sandwich. Even better, leftovers store and reheat well so you can cook once and enjoy nutritious, flavorful meals throughout the week. 

Keep this recipe in your back pocket for rainy days to serve with our sourdough croutons for some crunch and a touch of richness.

Why Use San Marzano Tomatoes?

San Marzano tomato is a type of plum tomato, and it’s thinner and more pointed. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is stronger, sweeter, and less acidic.

Most major grocery stores will have San Marzano tomatoes. I found mine at my local Costco.

Substitute for San Marzano tomatoes? Whole peeled canned tomatoes can be used in their place. The texture will be the same but the taste will be slightly different.

San Marzano tomato Soup Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients for this tomato soup:

tomato soup ingredients
  • butter
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • dried thyme
  • red chili flakes
  • canned San Marzano tomatoes
  • chicken or vegetable broth
  • sugar
  • dried bay leaves
  • salt and black pepper

You’ll also need an immersion blender or a high-speed blender for pureeing the soup.

tomato soup

How to Make Homemade Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes

1. In a dutch oven or a soup pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft.

2. Stir in garlic, thyme, and chili flakes, and cook until fragrant.

cooked onions in a dutch oven

3. Add tomatoes, broth, sugar, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

4. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

canned tomatoes in a pot

5. Discard bay leaves. Remove the soup from the heat and using an immersion blender, blend the soup into a smooth consistency.

pureed tomato soup in a pot

San Marzano Tomato Soup Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to mix and match different ingredients to make this recipe your own: 

  • San Marzano Tomatoes: If you can’t find San Marzano tomatoes, canned plum or Roma tomatoes will also work. 
  • Sugar: Substitute the sugar with honey, or omit it completely if you don’t mind a slightly acidic taste. 
  • Herbs: Add to the thyme with fresh herbs such as fresh basil or Italian parsley. 
  • Parmesan: Add a slightly cheesy taste by stirring parmesan cheese into the soup and letting it simmer with a parmesan rind. 
  • Heavy Cream: Stir in a tablespoon or so of heavy cream for extra richness and a thicker consistency. Half and half or full-fat canned coconut milk will also work.

Tips For Making This Tomato Soup Recipe With Canned Tomatoes

  • Use a nonreactive soup pot, such as stainless steel, ceramic, or metal with an enamel coating for cooking the soup since it’s acidic.
  • For a smoother consistency, use a highspeed blender instead of an immersion blender for blending the soup.
  • Do not cover the soup when simmering or it will be runny.
  • Add more flavor to the soup by stirring in fresh basil, half and half, or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Use best-quality canned tomatoes, such as San Marzano.
  • For less heat, use 1/8 teaspoon of chili flakes.

What to Serve With Tomato Soup from Canned Tomatoes

Serve tomato soup with these easy side dishes:

tomato soup recipe

How long does tomato soup last in the fridge?

Leftover tomato soup will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container or freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating Tomato Soup

Reheat leftover soup in a pot covered with a lid over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Or, warm individual portions in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so until heated through.

San Marzano Tomato Soup FAQs

How to thicken tomato soup?

The easiest way to thicken the soup is to stir in tomato paste. You can also add heavy cream or half and half, but keep in mind that this will change the flavor of the soup slightly, creating a richer taste.

Alternatively, you can create a cornstarch slurry, and stir it into the soup. Or, purée part of the soup with a blender if you don’t want to alter the taste.

Can you freeze tomato soup?

Yes, allow the soup to cool completely. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

If try our tomato soup, please leave a star rating and a comment letting us know how you liked the recipe.

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tomato soup

San Marzano Tomato Soup (Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmer
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Classic tomato soup with San Marzano tomatoes is going to become your go-to recipe! It’s so simple yet so flavorful.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp. fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
  • 1 (28 oz.) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in their juice
  • 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • Black pepper, to taste

To Serve


Instructions

  1. In a 4-quart nonreactive dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds while stirring constantly. 
  2. Add tomatoes, including their juice, broth, sugar, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. The soup will slightly reduce. 
  3. Discard the bay leaves. Remove soup from heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or with a high-speed blender into a smooth consistency. 

Notes

  • Tomatoes: Use best quality tomatoes, such as San Marzano. If you can’t find San Marzano tomatoes, any other canned whole peeled tomatoes will work. The taste will be slightly different but the texture the same.
  • Spiciness: This soup has a slight bite to it. For less spiciness, use 1/8 teaspoon of chili flakes.
  • For More Flavor: For more flavor, serve the soup with fresh basil, cream, or grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 117
  • Sugar: 4.8 g
  • Sodium: 982.7 mg
  • Fat: 9.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.8 g
  • Protein: 2.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 26.6 mg