This tomato soup recipe is perfect. It’s rich in high-quality, tomato flavor, it doesn’t require any crazy techniques or ingredients, and it tastes like what we like to call “chef soup”, aka the kind of soup you taste at a fancy restaurant and think to yourself, “wow– that soup is amazing… how do they do that?”

This recipe is inspired by Tupelo in Park City, where we once enjoyed an absolutely delicious and unforgettable perfect tomato soup.

tomato soup with parmesan croutons

Tomato Soup Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil- you’re using it three times in this recipe so make sure and use a good quality oil
  • Yellow onion- or a sweet onion would work great too.
  • Garlic- because, #garlic
  • Whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes- trust us on this one, you want the highest quality tomatoes you can find because the flavor of your tomato soup will only be as good as your tomatoes
  • Chicken stock- but if you want to keep things plant-based you can definitely use vegetable stock, too
  • Heavy cream- to balance out the acidity of all the tomatoes.
  • Kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper- to help bring out the flavors of each ingredient

Parmesan Crouton Ingredients

  • Sourdough bread- a nice sturdy bread makes the best croutons
  • Extra virgin olive oil- to add the perfect amount of fat and flavor to each crouton
  • Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, & oregano- for the perfect seasoning blend that won’t overpower your soup
  • Parmigiano Reggiano- to add just a touch of sharpness and flavor to your parmesan croutons
tomato soup with parmesan croutons in mugs

How To Make Perfect Tomato Soup

Making delicious, swoon worthy tomato soup is not complicated. In fact, it’s one of the most simple, straightforward soups you will ever make.

  1. Sautee the vegetables: Sautee the onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the salt and San Marzano tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you lower them into your Dutch oven, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. This really helps the flavor develop, but if you’re in a hurry you can skip this step.
  2. Make the croutons: While the soup is simmering make the homemade parmesan croutons. Simply toss together the bread, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the croutons from the oven, add a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano and a sprinkle of dried oregano, and pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes. Let them cool on the counter while you finish the soup and try not to eat them all before it’s dinnertime.
  3. Blend the soup: Add the chicken stock to your soup (this will cool the soup slightly), transfer to a blender, and blend your soup until it’s nice and smooth. Add a splash of cream and extra virgin olive oil and taste your soup to see if it needs any more salt.
  4. Garnish and serve: Use a ladle to divide the soup between bowls or large mugs and garnish each bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and then a handful of the parmesan croutons. Enjoy your soup piping hot!

Tomato Soup Tips & Tricks

A few tips and tricks for making the perfect tomato soup: 1) Use high-quality tomatoes. We strongly recommend canned, whole San Marzano tomatoes. 2) Make sure you use an actual blender if possible. The best tomato soup is smooth and without discernable bits and pieces. 3) Don’t skimp on the olive oil. Olive oil greatly enhances this soup at three different stages and if you’re planning to enjoy tomato soup that is truly perfect, you need the flavor that comes from both cooking with and garnishing with extra virgin olive oil.

cup of tomato soup

More Delicious Soup Recipes

Perfect Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons

5 from 5 votes
Brooke Eliason
Print
Servings: 4 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
This tomato soup recipe is perfect. It’s rich in high-quality, tomato flavor, and it doesn’t require any crazy techniques or ingredients.

Ingredients 

Tomato Soup

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 Tablespoons, divided
  • 1 medium yelllow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Parmesan Croutons

  • 1 small loaf sourdough bread
  • 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
  • Parmigiano reggiano
  • dried oregano

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
  • Warm a dutch oven to medium heat and add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Once olive oil is warm, add onions and cook over medium heat for 8-10 mins until soft, stirring occasionally and making sure onions do not brown. Add garlic cook for 1 more minute. Pour the San Marzano tomatoes into the dutch oven with the onions and garlic, crushing them one by one with your hands as you pour them out. Add 2 teaspoon of kosher salt and cook on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • While the soup is cooking make the croutons. Cut the sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. User your hands to toss together and gently press the olive oil into the bread. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove croutons from the oven and add a generous grating of Parmigiano Reggiano and a sprinkle of dried oregano to the tops of croutons. Return to the oven to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Croutons should still be slightly soft but crispy on the outside. Set aside until soup is done.
  • Once tomatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes, remove dutch oven from heat and add chicken stock, which should cool the soup slightly (if the soup is still hot, you may need to wait a few minutes to blend to avoid the top from bursting off the blender). Pour soup into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the soup back into the dutch oven over low heat, add the heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and taste. Add more kosher salt if needed.
  • Serve soup with a drizzle of olive oil and the Parmesan croutons. Enjoy immediately.

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