Next time you are craving a bowl of comforting soup? Try this.
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Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Easy recipe is tastier, healthier, and cheaper than canned tomato soup
- Quick enough for lunch yet hearty enough for dinner
- Learn my tip to make perfectly creamy soup (no splitting or curdling)
In just ten minutes, you can enjoy this comforting, from-scratch, creamy tomato soup recipe—yes, ten minutes from start to finish!
Make a dinner the whole family loves by serving it with buttery grilled cheese sandwiches, or just ladle up a big, steamy bowl and slurp away.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- If you like to make your own sauce from fresh tomatoes, feel free to use it. Otherwise, the canned stuff works just fine.
- Prefer a creamy tomato basil soup? Chop up some fresh basil and simmer it in the heavy cream. Leave some basil for garnish, too!
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a dash of heat if you like 'em.
- For this recipe, brown sugar will work the same as white. So, if you have one and not the other, don't worry. Use up what you've got.
- Some people like to garnish with a little parmesan cheese—and, in my opinion, you can't go wrong with some freshly grated cheese.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In a large pot, whisk together the flour and butter.
- Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce—keep stirring.
- While still whisking, carefully pour in the heavy cream mixture.
- Add sugar and seasoning. Ladle hot soup into serving bowls and enjoy.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Creamy tomato soup is so satisfying and fabulous reheated. I recommend making a double batch and enjoying it when you don't feel like cooking!
Let the soup cool before storing. Scoop it into an airtight container or use two bags if going that route (to avoid any accidental leaks.)
In the fridge, leftovers will keep for about five days. Soup freezes quite well and lasts for up to six months.
To avoid curdling the soup when reheating it, don't let it come near boiling. The best way to warm it is a slow simmer on the stove.
However, you can use the microwave as long as you heat it in short bursts. Stir in between each until it meets your liking.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Adding the heavy cream and evaporated milk mixture to the tomato mixture while both are simmering prevents curdling. Never add cold cream to boiling hot soup.
- Tomatoes are acidic and will react with cast iron, copper, and aluminum, leaving your soup tasting metallic. Use a stainless steel or enamel pot.
- When making a roux—the butter/flour mixture—be sure to whisk constantly. This makes the soup extra smooth and prevents burning.
- Evaporated and sweetened condensed milk aren't the same thing. Shop carefully—they look similar. We want plain 'ol evaporated milk this time.
- Leftover creamy tomato soup would make a great replacement for the sauce in this popular (and easy) ravioli soup recipe.
👩🍳 FAQs
To be honest, it's much better! I grew up on the store-bought stuff, so this copycat Campbell's tomato soup recipe hits the spot. It's flavorful and creamy, with a richer taste you only get from homemade soup.
They're all different in texture and flavor. Sauce is thinnest while paste is the thickest. Tomato puree is in between the two in terms of texture and depth of flavor. I don't recommend swapping them!
If your soup curdled later on, it probably got too hot or even started to boil. After adding cream to soup, it's important to maintain a low simmer, even when reheating—anything hotter will cause it to split.
📚 Related recipes
- With fresh ingredients and a few pantry staples, Stuffed Pepper Soup satisfies the whole family. It has a homestyle flavor with effortless prep.
- Stewed Tomatoes are a Southern delicacy, great use for end-of-summer garden produce, and taste amazing for brunch or dinner!
- Looking for another creamy, comforting classic? Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is food for the soul—it's hearty, smooth, and so delicious.
🍽️ Serve with...
You can't go wrong with grilled cheese and creamy tomato soup. Sometimes I like to change it up by serving it in these homemade homemade bread bowls.
I like to use this Tomato Swirl Bread for the grilled cheese sandwiches when I can. It's pretty AND delicious. Or I'll slather a layer of this fresh garlic butter spread on baguette slices and stick them under the broiler for a few minutes.
📞 The last word
Cream of tomato soup has to be one of those comfort foods that I love best... and if you add grilled cheese to it ..well it doesn't get better than that.
I grew up with Campbell's tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch just about every weekend. It's an iconic lunch combination that's hard to beat...
...At least until you try this copycat Campbell's tomato soup recipe. It's so good, so creamy, so easy, and it takes just 10 minutes.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Copycat Campbell's Tomato Soup Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 30 ounces tomato sauce, 2 15-ounce cans
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 24 ounces evaporated milk, 2 12-ounce cans
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat cream and milk to a simmer and keep at that temperature.
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and whisk in the flour.
- Add the tomato sauce and paste, whisking constantly.
- Still whisking bring to a simmer and let simmer 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the cream/milk mixture.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Adjust salt and pepper.
- Top with chopped fresh basil if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published January 25, 2011. Updated and moved to a new URL August 27, 2023 because the old URL was corrupted.
Cookee says
Okay, I will probably catch some flack for the stars and not making the soup YET. But here goes ... When I saw like favorite tomato soup, I went Ga Ga...ready to start making...another But
I read the ingredients and hit the floor on the addition of cinnamon an Cloves...very strong spices. I never tasted these spice in "C" tomato soup.
Here's my question...can you actually taste the addition of these spices or do they blend and enhance real well so not to directly detect?? What's important to me is to not disturb that delicious smooth known taste. Yep, I know I could leave them out, but would I be missing an intricate blending of flavors. I really want to try a good homemade tomato soup. Thanks for your help with this dilemma.
Hugs,
Cookee
When I try this soup, one way or the other, I will be next trying to make your homemade saltine crackers to go with it. Yum!! Love me some crackers!
The prep time problem still stands..lol...
Marye says
When you taste Campbells soup you don't just taste tomato. There are other flavors you taste as well that makes up that bite we love. For me, the flavors of the cloves and cinnamon aren't obvious but they do gie me the flavor I'm looking for. You'll just need to try it yourself.
Carol Gray says
Worse soup ever! I followed exact recipe. Shouldn't have! 2 cans of evaporated milk and cream? Yuck. Waaaay too creamy. Cinnamon and cloves? Yuck. The cinnamon was overwhelming. Just horrible taste. What a waste!