Homemade Tomato Soup with Thyme

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 for 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.

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.

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 to 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like:

• Easy Hamburger Soup from Spend with Pennies
• Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup AKA Jewish Penicillin
• Rustic Farro Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Split Pea Soup
• More of my Best Soup Recipes

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The Recipe:

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.

Recommended Products

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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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