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You are here: Home / Recipes / Soup and Stew

Crazy Easy Tomato Basil Soup

By Susie Weinrich · Date Mar 18, 2025· 4 Comments · May contain affiliate links.

tomato basil soup pinterest image with text
tomato basil soup pinterest image with text
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Crazy Easy Tomato Basil Soup… no other way to say it. It literally takes 10 minutes to make this delicious tomato soup. The secret ingredient is Campbell’s canned Tomato Soup Concentrate! It adds the perfect creamy base.

Toast up some homemade croutons in the oven and grill up a grilled cheese and you have a crazy delicious dinner!

two bowls of tomato basil soup with croutons on the top
Table of Contents hide
1 This Recipe Is…
2 Pantry Version!
3 Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients
4 Secret Soup Ingredient
5 Homemade Garlic Crouton Ingredients
6 Step by Step Picture Instructions
7 Serving
8 Storing
9 More Incredible Soup Recipes to Try
10 Did you make this recipe?
11 Crazy Easy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe + Video

This Recipe Is…

  • Said it before and I’ll say it again…crazy easy!
  • deliciously creamy and full of basil flavor.
  • a perfect weeknight dinner.
  • a delicious compliment to a grilled cheese.
  • balanced in all flavors- sweet, tangy and savory.
  • a great way to “fancy up” a can of tomato soup.

Pantry Version!

There is a similar version of this Tomato Basil Soup recipe on Mom’s Dinner… however this one is made completely with shelf stable ingredients. Making it perfect for camping. It is called 5 minute Tomato Basil Pantry Soup.

Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients

Pictured below are the ingredients that you need to make this super simple Tomato Basil Soup, plus some tips on a few ingredients:

Crazy easy tomato basil soup ingredients with text labels

Dried Basil – make sure your dried basil is fresh and full of flavor (dried herbs have a shelf life of about 2 years). Rub the basil in the palm of your hand before adding it to the soup, it will release the oils and flavor.

Milk/Cream – I definitely recommend using whole milk or half and half, or a combo of the two, for your Tomato Basil Soup. It will make it creamy and rich.

Tomato Basil Marinara – Use a quality marinara sauce that has a pronounced basil flavor. We love Rao’s Tomato Basil Marinara.

Secret Soup Ingredient

The secret ingredient, making this such an EASY recipe, is the condensed tomato soup (just like in these Ham Balls!). It adds the perfect tomato base that is creamy, thick and a little sweet.

I prefer Campbell’s brand and have only tested this recipe with Campbell’s. Sometimes the store brand soup concentrates can be a little “off”.

Homemade Garlic Crouton Ingredients

Pictured are the ingredients you need to make Homemade Garlic Croutons. These do NOT need to be fancy croutons, they just need to be delicious to enhance your Tomato Basil soup eating experience.

homamde garlic crouton ingredients on a table

Bread – I have used everything from day old hoagie rolls to hamburger buns to ciabatta bread… they all work! Use whatever you have in your pantry.

Step by Step Picture Instructions

There are not a ton of instructions!

Simply place a pot over low heat. Add the tomato soup, milk/cream, dried basil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Give it a really good whisk to combine.

PRO TIP: lightly crush the dried basil in the palm of your hand before adding to the soup. It releases the oil and flavors! This goes for the soup and the croutons.

Let it heat through stirring occasionally.

Easy tomato basil soup in an all clad pot

While the soup cooks, make the croutons.

Heat the oven to 400. Cube the bread and place on a baking sheet.

Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and then sprinkle on the seasonings, making sure they stick to the bread.

bread cubes on a sheet pan
bread cubes on a sheet pan tossed in olive oil and spices
toasted croutons on a baking sheet

Pop in the oven for 5 minutes, toss and bake for another 5 minutes, until they are golden and crispy, but not burnt.

Serving

Serve hot bowls of Tomato Basil Soup topped with garlic croutons. Optionally you can sprinkle on some grated parmesan cheese and dried basil or parsley.

Of course, any tomato soup goes great with a side of grilled cheese!

hands holding a small bowl of tomato basil soup

Storing

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep the croutons in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temp.

The soup reheats PERFECTLY in the microwave!

More Incredible Soup Recipes to Try

  • creamy red potato soup topped with bacon and cheese in a brown crock bowl
    Creamy Red Potato Soup
  • a ladle full of hamburger soup over the instant pot
    Easy Instant Pot Hamburger Soup
  • a bowl of Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
    Instant Pot Beef & Barley Stew
Click for All Soup Recipes

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

💛💛💛💛💛

Did you make this recipe?

I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me

Rate This Recipe→
tomato basil soup in a white bowl with croutons and parmesan on top

Crazy Easy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe + Video

No other way to say it… this Tomato Basil Soup is crazy easy to make. It is deliciously balanced in flavors and will take about 10 minutes to make, including the garlic croutons!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 5 people
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • large pot
  • Large rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 2 (10 oz) cans condensed tomato soup - prefer Campbell's
  • 20 oz whole milk - ** see notes
  • 1 cup favorited jarred Tomato Basil Marinara - we highly recommend Rao's
  • 2 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder & onion powder

Homemade Garlic Croutons

  • 3 cups thick cut bread - cubed (see notes)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Optional Soup Garnish

  • grated parmesan cheese, fresh or dried basil, and/or red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

Easy Tomato Basil Soup

  • Whisk all the ingredients together in a large sauce pan over low heat. Heat through for about 5-10 minutes. Stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn on the bottom.
    PRO TIP- lightly crush the dried basil in the palm of your hand before adding to the soup. It will enhance the flavor and release the oils.
    2 (10 oz) cans condensed tomato soup, 20 oz whole milk, 1 cup favorited jarred Tomato Basil Marinara, 2 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder & onion powder

Homemade Garlic Croutons

  • Preheat the oven to 400°.
  • Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the bread with all the olive oil to coat. Sprinkle on all the herbs & seasonings.
    3 cups thick cut bread, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Roast for 5 minutes. Toss. Then roast another 5-8 minutes, until golden and crispy, but not burnt.

Serving

  • Serve the soup hot topped with croutons, grated parmesan cheese, fresh or dried basil, and/or red pepper flakes.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Milk – for a creamier soup use a whole milk or half & half, or a combo of the two.
Bread for Croutons – this does not need to be fancy bread! I have used hoagie buns, hamburger buns… whatever I have in the pantry.
Make this soup next time you camp! Pop over to this shelf stable version made with only pantry ingredients! Tomato Basil Pantry Soup
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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About Susie Weinrich

Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

Comments

    5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Rosemary says

    November 14, 2024 at 5:07 pm

    5 stars
    Very easy and delicious. I’ve made tomato soup from scratch and this was very comparable. Tomato soup has always been a classic comfort food to me since childhood. So happy to have found this great recipe!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 14, 2024 at 5:36 pm

      Excellent! I love a big flavor pay-off with not a lot of work involved.

      Reply
  2. Charlie Holcomb says

    June 03, 2024 at 1:23 pm

    5 stars
    I have made several recipes of tomato basil soup from “scratch” using an immersion blender to puree the tomatoes. We love tomato basil soup at La Madeleine and most recently at Tatte’ Bakery in Washington, D.C. This recipe was very close to each and made in a snap. We used 2% milk to cut the fat, and was still was very good. If we had used half-and-half, I am sure that it would have been just like what we like in restaurants. I used Rao’s tomato basil marinara because I had it on hand, but I feel that any other good, much less expensive marinaras would have been just as good – as basil is so pungent a flavor along with the tomato. We ate it last night and again at lunch today. It was even better being reheated, maybe due to the basil further permeating the soup. With a small Caesar salad and a wedge of cheese toast – it hit the spot!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      June 03, 2024 at 4:29 pm

      Love this!!! High praise that this is a restaurant quality recipe. Totally agree pairing this Tomato Basil Soup with a Caesar and cheese toast is the perfect dinner or lunch. Cheers!

      Reply
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Meet The Author:

Susie Weinrich is a professional food photographer and recipe developer. Her thoroughly tested recipes and step-by-step guides give readers confidence in the kitchen.

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