It was my wonderful Dad who taught me the joy of double-dipping a gooey grilled cheese sandwich into a big bowl of creamy tomato soup. Yum!
Now that I’m all grown-up, I often skip the grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy this thick hearty soup with a sprinkling of raw cheese, fresh basil and a handful of homemade crunchy garlic-herb croutons. (Okay, to be honest, it might be closer to two handfuls of the croutons, because they are pretty much irresistible in this soup!)
And regardless of whether you pair it with grilled cheese or croutons, this classic soup makes a delicious hearty lunch, or a super easy, yet satisfying dinner!
Creamy Tomato Soup with Garlic-Herb Croutons (GF, DF)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp organic tomato paste
- 1 28-oz. can organic tomato purée
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pure coconut milk
- Garlic-Herb Croutons (recipe follows)
- Fresh organic basil
- Shredded grassfed cheddar cheese (omit if DF)
To Garnish:
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, add the olive oil and chopped onion. Sauté until soft and translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Then, add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, until onions are well coated. Then, add the tomato purée, chicken stock, dried herbs, honey, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and allow soup to gently simmer for 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender (or blender or food processor), puree the soup until smooth.
- Return soup to the stockpot and set over low heat. Whisk in the coconut milk and re-season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper.
- Remove stockpot from heat and ladle into serving bowls.
- P.S. This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have further melded, so be sure to save any leftovers!
- In a small bowl, combine equal parts of melted butter and olive oil. Lightly brush both sides of your favorite sliced GF bread with the butter-olive oil mixture.
- Then, lightly sprinkle both sides with sea salt, garlic powder and dried parsley (or Italian Herb seasoning).
- Next, cube the bread and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 20-35 minutes, until the croutons are lightly brown and hard. Allow to cool completely.
- Store croutons in an airtight container in freezer for up to one month.
For the Soup:
For an extra special treat, top this hearty soup with a handful of homemade Garlic-Herb Croutons. They're super easy to make ...
When I saw this picture in my inbox this morning I knew I had to change plans and make this for dinner tonight. I am so glad I did! We’re not big tomato soup lovers, but everyone (6 of us) in the house thought this recipe was good.
I’ve never commented before, but I do want to thank you for all you share. It has been such a blessing to my family!
Aww, thanks, Jo Ann! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed this soup. It’s definitely one of our favorites. Lots of blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
This looks delicious. We’ve been looking for a creamy homemade tomato soup recipe. My son is lactose intolerant. Could this be made with whole lactose free milk instead of the cream?
Sarah, whole milk should work just fine, it may be a little thinner (less creamy), but should still taste great! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Sarah,
Coconut milk (from the can) works well!
Thanks, Joni! Great suggestion, coconut milk will add a nice undertone of sweetness as well. 🙂
This looks great!! Any suggestions to make it dairy free? Thanks! Sue
Hi, Sue. You could certainly leave out the cream. Or you might want to try using coconut milk or almond milk instead. If using coconut milk, I would omit the honey called for in the recipe since the coconut is going to already bring a level of sweetness to the soup. Keep in mind, I haven’t personally tried these, but am just offering some ideas that might work in place of cream. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Finally made this soup. It is DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for providing a homemade tomato soup recipe that does not need dairy and tastes better than any I have ever had! I used almond milk for a cup of soup but prefer it without any dairy at all.
So glad you enjoyed this Sue! I have to tell you that I am REALLY picky about tomato soup and my poor family had to suffer through about a half-dozen failed attempts. (They’re such troopers, well at least they were until around batch 3 – then I was on my own to eat the soup on my own until I got it figured out – LOL!) So glad you like this, it’s a favorite of ours too! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Any ideas on what could be added if I can’t find raw or pasteurized cream, if anything?
Kelly, I, too, want to thank you for all you share with us! I am thankful!
Thanks, Erin! I haven’t tried it but I bet whole milk kefir or yogurt would be quite delicious in this as well! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Just adding my $0.02, I usually add a handful of carrots to my tomato soup to help sweeten it instead of using honey or another sweetner. I also add a handful of spinach for a little boost of nutrition. The spinach makes the soup a deeper red color than what is pictured but my family is used to it now . . . I have added too much spinach and it turned the soup a horrible, unappealing color;)
What wonderful ideas! Thanks for sharing, Amy! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
This is the best tomato soup! I made it for the second time tonight because Ive been craving it since the first time I made it a couple weeks ago. Its just delicious. I didn’t even like tomato soup before I had this. Thank you so much for your delicious recipes!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a note and for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoy this as much as we do! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
This soup looks amazing… Going to see if I can get to the store so I can make it tonight!
Thanks, Anne! It’s definitely a winter favorite in our home. Especially with grilled cheese on the side. Mmm! 🙂
Thank you Kelly for your meal plan ideas. I’m just starting to learn how to do this efficiently and thanks a lot for all your good ideas. I found you on The Better Mom.
You’re so welcome, Betty! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! Lots of blessings to you, Kelly 🙂