Garden Italian Fresh Tomato Soup
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This Italian Fresh Tomato Soup is bursting with garden flavor, from fresh tomatoes to aromatics and herbs. A quick fix, healthy soup packed with the flavors of summer.
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What I Love About This Fresh Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is a staple year-round. But when fresh tomatoes are ripening on the vine, making a batch of homemade soup with garden fresh tomatoes is a treat.
And that treat is easy to make, and ready in 20 minutes or so. Now that is summer-friendly.
If you love tomato soup and grilled cheese, this soup is reminiscent of a simple summer Italian dish favored in Tuscany. For in Italy, fresh tomato soup is often served with egg-based dishes, like frittatas, rather than our traditional grilled cheese.
Delicious right? If you’re of the same mind. Here are some of my favorite frittata recipes.
If you love fresh soups made with summer fresh vegetables, and have 5 minutes to spare and a blender on hand, my cold cucumber soup is a delicious and refreshing summer dish you’ll love.
Fresh Tomato Soup Ingredients
Here is a list of the ingredients I use when making this tomato soup recipe. The measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes, peeled or unpeeled (my favorite varieties for homemade tomato soup are plum or toma tomatoes).
- Vegetables: chopped onion, minced garlic, thinly sliced celery and leeks
- Butter: for flavor, although you could also substitute olive oil.
- All-purpose flour for thickening
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Granulated sugar to help combat the tomato acidity
- Salt for flavor
- Fresh basil for flavor and garnish. Or substitute your favorite herbs or microgreens
Which Tomatoes are Best for Tomato Soup
While I prefer plum tomatoes in this soup because they’re meatier and less watery, but any garden variety will do. Roma tomatoes are another great choice because they are delicious, perfect in tomato sauce, and if you garden, they are versatile for freezing whole for later enjoyment!
How to Make Fresh Tomato Soup
- Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the celery, leek, onion, and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, broth, and basil leaves. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl or pan. Sometimes, I also use an immersion blender- which makes it super easy with less mess but yields a somewhat chunkier soup. We like it both ways.
- Season with salt and pepper, and adjust to taste. Serve warm in bowls, garnished with crostini slices or large croutons.
Do you need to peel tomatoes for soup?
Technically, tomatoes do not need to be peeled for tomato soup. But if you prefer a smooth-textured soup or tomato sauce, you will need to peel the tomatoes. Otherwise, you may be fishing out some tomato skins.
How to Peel Tomatoes
Bring a pot of water to boil on the stovetop. While the water is coming to a boil, make an “x” across the bottom of the tomato with a knife.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the tomatoes for 20 to 30 seconds until the skin begins to wrinkle and peel away from the flesh.
Using a slotted spoon or a strainer, lift the tomatoes from the water and transfer them to a bowl with ice water. Once cool, peel the skin from the tomatoes.
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Garden Italian Fresh Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 slice onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup celery thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup leek thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons white sugar or to taste
- 3 fresh basil leaves plus a few leaves to garnish
Instructions
- In a stockpot, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery, leek, onion, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and basil leaves. Bring to a boil, and gently simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl, or pan. Sometimes, I also use an immersion blender- which makes it super easy with less mess but yields a somewhat chunkier soup. We like it both ways.
- Season with salt and pepper, and adjust to taste. Serve warm in bowls, garnished with crostini slices or large croutons.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.