Creamy Tomato Soup is homemade comfort food in a bowl. Tomatoes, heavy cream, garlic, crushed red pepper, celery seed, oregano, salt, pepper, and a little sugar are just some simple ingredients in this homemade tomato soup recipe.

If you’re looking for other yummy soup recipes, take a look at How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup and Creamy White Chicken Chili.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant that seems to cater directly to your heart?  Sometimes they can feel like you are searching for a golden unicorn, but when you stumble upon one – you’ve experienced a little bit of heaven.

There’s a well-known chef in the Seattle area that puts together restaurants that are the perfect recipe for culinary happiness. He even has a cooking school above one of his restaurants.

Tom Douglas is that chef.  When I talk about him to family and friends, he’s just “Tom” to us. No last name is needed.

It’s not that I know him so personally (even though I have met him a time or two) – it’s because we are obsessed with his food.

In one of his cookbooks, one of his friends wrote the introduction. He talks about how much of a foodie Tom Douglas is.

He said you would think that most chefs are foodies.  The author of the introduction said it’s not true.

Whenever he dines out with Tom, he orders at least “eight appetizers and eight entrees” for the two of them. Tom claims it’s for research and development. This information proves he’s my kind of person.

Most of my friends have received an autographed copy of one of his cookbooks that I’ve sent them as a gift. There’s a meet and greet event in Seattle during the Christmas season where you can meet local chefs and have them sign the books you buy.

Of course, being one of Tom’s biggest fans – I’ve been to this event several times.

You might ask, what does all this information have to do with creamy tomato soup?

Simple. This creamy tomato soup recipe is Tom’s. Yep, the real McCoy. It’s a great recipe that’s so easy to make.

I first tasted his soup at his restaurant Dahlia Lounge located in Seattle. The creamy tomato soup is served at lunch, along with a grilled cheese sandwich.

The grilled cheese sandwich is made with Beecher’s cheese (a Seattle cheese company), and it’s out-of-this-world good.

There’s something so cozy about having creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches together.

I recently moved away from the Seattle area, and now I’m on the other coast. I no longer can get my Tom Douglas fix whenever I want, so I had to start making his recipes.

The good news is you can skip traveling to Seattle to taste his yummy food. You can enjoy the recipes in the comfort of your own home.

I only made one change to his recipe because I like my tomato soup a little bit creamier. I added an extra 1/3 cup of heavy cream to the recipe.

If you want to try both ways (both his and my version), deduct 1/3 cup of heavy cream from the recipe.  Taste the soup after it’s done, and if you prefer a creamier tomato soup as I do, add 1/3 cup of heavy cream to the soup and heat all the way through.

What I love about this recipe is how darn easy it is. It’s a quick tomato soup recipe with canned tomatoes.

“All soup is soul food.”

Bee Wilson, First Bite: How We Learn to Eat

Here are some of Tom Douglas’ cookbooks you can check out on Amazon:  

Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen 

I have this cookbook sitting right next to me on my bookshelf as I type these words. This cookbook was the first one I bought of Tom’s.

Recipes include lobster and shiitake potstickers with sake sauce, sweet butternut soup with thyme Creme Fraiche, and mustard-glazed rib roast.

The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle  

Tom’s coconut cream pie is legendary.  So is his bakery. I’ve been there too many times to count.

I Love Crab Cakes – 50 Recipes for an American Classic 

If you love crab cakes – this is the cookbook for you!

Creating a Cozy Life Group: 

Since you clicked on a recipe for creamy tomato soup, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 126,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Soup:

Ingredient List for Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1 medium onion, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, smashed

3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans whole tomatoes in their juice – approximately 5 cups

1 cup water

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more if you like your food spicier)

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Four slices of 3/4-inch thick country bread, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions for Making Best Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

1) In a large saucepan, melt one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of the butter.

2) Add the sliced onion and smashed garlic to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. Stir occasionally.

3) Add the tomatoes and their juice, the water, cup of cream, sugar, crushed red pepper, celery seed, and oregano to the saucepan.

4) Bring the soup mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Break up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.

5) Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

6) Meanwhile, in another skillet add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over moderately high heat until it begins to brown. This takes approximately one minute.

7) Add the browned butter to a medium bowl.

8) Add the olive oil to the skillet. Place the diced bread cubes in the olive oil and cook over moderate high heat for about six minutes. Stir occasionally, and remove when slightly browned.

9) Transfer the bread cubes to the browned butter and mix well.

10) Working in small batches, use a blender to puree the tomato soup ingredients until you reach a creamy texture. Make sure the soup cools down a bit before blending hot liquids. You can always reheat the soup.

11) Ladle the creamy tomato soup into bowls, and top with buttered croutons. Season with salt and pepper.

Tips for making Creamy Tomato Soup

• Place your unpeeled cloves of garlic in a cup of cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes, and the skin will fall right off.
• You can top your soup with sour cream and chopped fresh tomatoes, red pepper flakes, shredded Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, or other fresh herbs. For more ideas on adding toppings to your soups, check out my Creative Soup Topping Ideas article.
• Yello onion can be substituted for sweet onion.
• You can substitute fresh oregano for the dried oregano.
• If you prefer a chunkier soup, pulse the soup until you get the desired consistency.
• You’re going to want to make a double batch of this recipe. It’s that good!
• For a more decadent soup, you can add cream cheese to the recipe.
• An immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender can be used to puree the soup.

How long does this delicious creamy tomato soup recipe last in the refrigerator?

This creamy soup will last 3-4 days in the fridge when properly stored in an airtight container. This easy soup recipe is even better the next day.

Can you freeze this easy tomato soup recipe? 

Soups with cream or milk in them don’t freeze well.  Dairy products cause curdling or a grainy texture.

Printable Version How to Make Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe: 

We’ve reached the end of Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup. I hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know in the comments below how you liked this easy cream of tomato soup recipe.

Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is!

Please pin this quick tomato soup recipe below on your recipe board on Pinterest, so you can refer back to it again. I hope this becomes one of your favorite recipes.

Thanks for stopping by. I’m so happy you found us!

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