This simple Homemade Tomato Soup with Thyme was creamy, hot, and comforting. It’s the perfect cold-weather lunch. Paired with grilled cheese fingers made a deliciously satisfying meal!

As a bonus, there is NO cream in this Tomato Soup Recipe. I’ll let you in on the secret below.

Thyme Kissed Tomato Soup in a white bowl with grilled cheese and thyme.

Why You Must Make

  • This is a Creamy Tomato Soup yet there’s no heavy cream or half-and-half in the recipe.
  • It’s flavored with aromatics, and herbs and paired with gourmet “croutons.”
  • This is an updated version of the classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Olive Oil, Butter, Sugar, Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Flour – I like to use Wondra Flour as it doesn’t form lumps like AP flour. It will help thicken the soup.
  • Onion – White or Yellow, finely chopped
  • Garlic – Minced
  • Chicken Broth – I use the Pacific Brand, others can be too salty
  • Canned Tomatoes – 2 28-ounce cans of plum tomatoes and juice, pureed.
  • Fresh Thyme – Save a few sprigs for garnishing, if desired.
  • Grilled Cheese Fingers – Cut the grilled cheese into four strips to serve, optional. I like using Muenster and Cheddar Cheese.
Thyme Kissed Tomato Soup in a white bowl overhead view.

Recipe Tips

  • Using garden tomatoes would be a delicious option. Remove skins and seeds before using.
  • I enjoy thyme in tomato soup but other herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, etc. would also work well.
  • Since tomatoes are acidic, don’t cook them in a reactive pan but instead stainless steel or non-stick pans. Reactive pans include those made with aluminum, copper, or cast iron. See more info in the frequently asked questions below.
  • If your soup seems too acidic when sampling a spoonful, add a pinch of baking soda which will help neutralize the pH.
  • Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a “crouton” made from a slice of a freshly made grilled cheese sandwich. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich is a classic pairing.
  • You can also serve this easy tomato soup recipe with a green salad, homemade biscuits or cornbread, or dinner rolls.

How to Make Tomato Soup

You’d never guess this easy tomato soup wasn’t loaded with cream. The secret is to use a blender to puree the smithereens out of the contents of your stock pot before serving.

Nearly silky smooth, it was nice to focus the calories on a thick layer of cheese in my sandwich. A gooey Muenster and sharp cheddar melted together deliciously. It’s an excellent pairing, I’d say! But use your favorite cheeses when you make your version.

  1. Cook the onions and garlic until soft.
  2. Add the rest of the soup ingredients, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so the bottom does not burn.
  3. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.
  4. Remove the thyme sprig, cool briefly, and puree.
  5. Reheat if necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, and serve.
Thyme Kissed Tomato Soup in a white basket weave bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Nonreactive Pan?

Have you ever seen a warning not to use a reactive pan in certain recipes? Did you wonder if you owned one and what would happen if you used it?
Most of us own stainless steel cookware which is nonreactive. Reactive pans include copper, aluminum, and cast iron (unless it has an enamel finish).
Acidic ingredients like tomatoes, citrus, and wine can react with metal. If this happens, it can damage the pan’s surface transferring metal, at a microscopic level, to your food.

Can You Leave the Skin on the Tomatoes When Making Soup?

Generally, the peels will disintegrate during the cooking and pureeing process, so you can leave them on if you’d like. When using canned tomatoes, like in this recipe, it’s very easy to remove the skins, so that’s my preference.
To remove the peel when using fresh tomatoes, slice a shallow X on the non-stem end of the tomatoes, drop them in boiling water for about a minute, then plunge them into a bowl of cold water (I add ice). Once cool enough, remove them from the water and use your fingers or a knife to peel off the skins.

Is Tomato Soup Healthy?

Yes! Since tomatoes are full of lycopene, flavenoids, Vitamins C, E, and A, there are lots of health benefits from eating tomato soup. If the recipe is full of heavy cream or half and half, though, it will not be as healthy due to the addition of saturated fat.

How Do You Add Flavor to Tomato Soup?

Add aromatics like onions and garlic to boost the flavor. Herbs like thyme or basil are delicious, too. Garnishes of toasted nuts or seeds provide texture and a swirl of flavored oil or cream is tasty.
Besides onions, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese will contribute to umami. And if your soup tastes flat, make sure you’ve added enough salt.

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Thyme Kissed Tomato Soup | A luscious classic made without cream!

Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe with Thyme

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield 8 servings

A Classic Tomato Soup flavored with thyme adapted from Fine Cooking.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons flour (all purpose is fine, but I like using Wondra because it doesn't lump)
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 28-ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes, puréed (include the juice)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh thyme sprigs to garnish, optional
  • Grilled cheese fingers (cut your grilled cheese into 4 strips), to serve, optional

Instructions

  1. In a nonreactive 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the flour, stir, and cook for a minute to get rid of the raw flour flavor.
  3. Slowly whisk in the broth, then add the tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and about ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat stirring occasionally so the bottom does not burn.
  4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.
  5. Remove the thyme sprig. Let cool a bit, then add to blender to puree in small batches.
  6. Reheat if needed to serve. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed.
  7. Serve with a small sprig of thyme and grilled cheese fingers if desired.

Notes

May use fresh or frozen garden tomatoes if desired. Blanch, then add to a bowl of ice water to remove the skin, if desired. Cut into quarters and remove the seeds.

To make grilled cheese fingers, make 2 grilled cheese sandwiches in a skillet (butter the bread so it browns nicely). When the cheese is melty and the bread toasted, cut each into 4 narrow slices and serve them with the soup.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 bowl

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 511mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

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