Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
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Simply add all your ingredients into a crockpot. So creamy, comforting and EASY! Served with parmesan cheddar croutons!!!
We’ve been a sick household for days. Ben is sick. I’m sick. And I may have heard Butters sneezing earlier. It may have been the Indiana cold.
Us Californians are wimps when it comes to 28 degree weather.
So now. Well, now, we’re a tomato soup household. And because we’re all sick, no one has the energy to cook. That’s why we threw everything into the crockpot.
Ben helped and made the croutons, with extra Parmesan cheese for me.
Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled plum tomatoes with basil
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
For the parmesan cheddar croutons
- 4 cups 1-inch French bread cubes
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- To make the parmesan cheddar croutons, spread bread cubes in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with cheeses. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway; set aside and let cool.
- Place tomatoes into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in tomato sauce, vegetable broth, garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper until well combined. Crush the tomatoes into chunks using the back of a spoon.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Puree with an immersion blender until desired consistency is reached. Stir in heavy cream and basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with parmesan cheddar croutons.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can I use coconut milk instead of heavy cream? or use 1/2 of both.
So easy and wonderful to come home to! Perfect for a busy weekday. We served this with grilled cheeses – delicious!
This was easy to put together and nice that my slow cooker took over for the most part! I took two days to make it, cooking through the 8 hours on first day and then adding additional ingedients on day two. I made this as directed with the exception of adding 1/2 cup finely grated parmesian reggiano directly into the soup. I did not make the croutons. It was delicious!
Thank you for posting this recipe. I forgot to buy a red pepper but the soup was amazing without it. I’ll try it with coconut milk next time.
This is wonderful! And personally I think tomato soup is better made with canned tomatoes.
Love, love, love your recipes. I have made many of them and they all turn out excellent. Look forward to making this soup, yummy!!
Okay soup, but probably not a repeat here. I had a small red bell pepper, but it still contributed a bit more to the flavor than I would have liked. The adults here ate it, but the kids didn’t like it at all. The croutons were appreciated by everyone. It’s hard to go wrong with bread and melted cheese.
SOUNDS YUMMY AND FULL OF COMFORT!!
Made it today and felt I was eating tomato sauce. I had substituted one can of tomatoes for crushed tomatoes with basil, that may have been my mistake. My husband thought it tasted very acidic. Any ideas on how to salvage the remaining soup?
Very tasty soup. A little bit too acid though.
You can use a very slight pinch of baking soda to tone down the acidity. But use only a tiny bit at a time until it suits your taste. Then you don’t have keep adding sugar or salt to balance the acidity. But, if you use too much baking soda it will make it VERY bland.
I have made this soup mant times for my workmates and always go down a treat.
This recipe was super easy to make and was delicious. The croutons were very easy also and so tasty. I could just sit and eat those and some of the crispy cheese. I will definitely make this again!
While this soup tasted good, i could definitely taste the bell pepper. Not sure if mine was too large, but it overpowered the tomatoes. Would consider omitting them completely or using only half. I also carmelized the onions with the bell peppers, spices, and garlic to make them softer and add more flavor, and threw in 1/4 cup Parmesan with the cream, which was a great addition. Overall, tasty with a classic grilled cheese, but would not make it completely according to the recipe next time.
When you Sautee any vegetable, it releases their flavors, thus making them more intense. Putting them in uncooked and cooking with the soup, softens them and allows them to absorb the base of the soup, in this case, tomato. I would recommend not sautéing anything and allowing them to cook within the soup to achieve the full tomato flavor.
Fantastic recipe and it couldn’t be easier! This was my first attempt at homemade tomato soup – I’m forever ruined for Campbell’s now. I used homemade chicken broth in place of the vegetable broth since I have a ton of it to use up, and I just realized I completely forgot to add in the garlic! I also skipped the immersion blender and instead blended small batches in my Blendtec once it cooled down a bit. I was worried it was going to be too sweet but once I added in the heavy cream (fellow Canadians – it’s sold as whipping cream here…as long as it’s 35% fat or more you’re all good) it was perfect. I also omitted the croutons as I can’t eat cheese but I’m sure they would make this recipe even more amazing. This one is definitely a keeper!
Outstanding! Creamy and delicious. Absolutely fantastic with a classic grilled cheese sandwich. Thank you for sharing – our family loved it.
I have been making this every year now for the past three year I absolutely love this recipe.
I love this recipe so much! It’s a perfect starter, it comes out a little sweet for me so I swap veggie broth for beef broth and red wine then omit the bell pepper. Rather the bell peppers get eaten raw.
Cooked this last night for a dinner party – it was DELICIOUS. It could not have been easier. Added some red pepper flakes for a bit of kick. The store didn’t have tomatoes with basil so I just added some dried basil. Croutons were a snap to make in the toaster oven. Will *definitely* make again.
I just made this soup last night in my crockpot and I finished it off with the cream and immersion blender this morning. It’s sooooooooo good. I legit want tomato soup for breakfast now! I tweaked the sugar, pepper, and salt amounts but followed everything else to a T.
Damn delicious indeed.
Just made this. It’s amazing. So simple! No more store bought soup for me! I simmered it on the stove top as I was home anyway and it’s beautiful. Another great recipe from you
Tastes fabulous! I made it for a ladies luncheon at my church, I brought home an empty pot!! I’m making it again for dinner tonight so my family can enjoy it. I have a question, do you have a carb count for just the soup or just the croutons?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. But if it is not available for a specific recipe, you can always use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps, Linda!
Thanks- great recipe! Tomato basil is my fav soup of all time especially in the winter months:). I added a lil more sugar, used fire roasted crushed tomatoes, minced garlic & sun-dried tomato garlic. Topped with feta cheese crumbles. We ate it with Gouda & white cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sounds so delicious!
I’m excited to try this one!! Quick question, could I freeze this whole thing to use in my crockpot later? Or, perhaps just freeze parts of it (I just don’t know if the cream would separate or the tomatoes would hold up.) Thoughts?
Unfortunately, soups that contain milk or cream, like chowders and bisques, do not hold up well in the freezer as they tend to take on a grainy texture and separate when defrosted and rewarmed. 🙁
I made this in my crock pot with the idea of freezing since I live alone. I added the cream to my individual serving bowl instead of the whole crock pot full of soup. Then I froze it in individual containers and will add the cream each time I make it. Just made today so will have to report back the first time I thaw out and reheat. Hope that helps.
That’s a great idea! I wish I would have read that before I added it to the whole batch.
I am making this for a luncheon in a couple of days and I am getting my grocery list in line. Is there really only 1/3 cup cream?
Yes, that is correct.
I looked at the list of ingredients and made a list of what I’d need from the market. When I got home I started the soup in the CrockPot, only to discover that bell pepper was not included on the list of ingredients and I didn’t have any (and I love bell peppers!). Darn! . . . but not a real problem.
This turned out well anyway, and I may pick up some bell pepper to add to the leftover soup.
My only real reservation is the use of parmesan cheese in the croutons. It just melts into a glob and the croutons look nothing like the pictures in the recipe.
This is really good. I don’t like mine too tart so I added more cream, sugar and basil. Just taste tear with bits of sugar until it meets your desired sweetness.
I made the soup and croutons for dinner tonight and they were amazing! Thanks for the great recipes 🙂
You’re welcome!
Hi, I just made this recipe tonight and it was a hit! What Personally I thought it was a bit sweet. What should I use less of?
You can omit the 1 teaspoon sugar.
It is in the Slow Cooker as we speak. I substituted fat free half and half. Should work just fine. 2 more hours ’til taste time!
Thank you Chungah, I have always loved your recipes/site. : )
Making this today and it smells wonderful! Does this reheat well? What’s the best way to reheat to keep the cream from separating? Thanks!
Cheryl, I recommend holding off on stirring in the cream/croutons until right before serving! Hope that helps. 🙂
Love this recipe, so thanks for posting! I am never buying canned tomato soup again. I tweaked it a bit as follows:
– add hot pepper sauce (1tbsp)
– omit onion
– red wine + rinse tomato cans for veggie broth
– soy milk instead of heavy cream (cuts back on fat… yes is more watery but ok with me)
Yes this does freeze all right with soy milk. Not sure about how freeze w heavy cream.
(Due to allergies,we are a dairy, onion and meat free household, hence the modifications)
If I am using fresh tomatoes, do you know what the substitution ratios would be?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
This soup is amazing! I love Panera’s tomato soup and honestly this is much better – and I didn’t even use the croutons. Sometimes when I make tomato soup, it tastes more like soupy tomato sauce, but the veg broth and cream work well to turn it into a great soup. I like spicy, so I used a lot of crushed red pepper – definitely will be making this a lot as fall and winter approach!
Great Fall and Winter recipe! Glad you like it.
Why do people think sugar needs to be added to almost everything? I know this is an epidemic with manufactured food but I don’t add sugar to ANYTHING I make. Recipe sounds good and I’m in the process of cooking a batch of soup– without the sugar.
To neutralize the acid from the tomatoes. Just a little science. 1tsp to almost 3 quarts of soup isn’t an obscene or obsessive amount of sugar.
Oops, dropped my phone writing my comment anyway, lol, instead of using a slow cooker and added a bit more sugar. Absolutely love it!
I haven’t found a recipe for tomato soup that I liked until I tried yours. Oh my goodness! I slow simmered it on top of the stove instead of using a
Made this as written and it was really delicious. Thank you!
Hello, I don’t have an immersion blender. I do have a small bullit blender, could I blend everything before I put it in the Crock-Pot?
Yes, you can use a blender, working in batches, in place of the immersion blender in step #5.
Made this last night with crushed tomatoes. The frost got my fresh basil so only used dried. Served it with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. We loved it. Perfect for a cold winter night.
Hi Chungah,
I love your recipes, wonderful, simple and delicious.
Concerning this soup, how to do it without a slowcooker?
Thank you
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I made it tonight, without a slow cooker. I cooked the onion and garlic until fragrant, added the bell pepper and cooked for few moments, then added dried thyme and basil, pepper, salt, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and finally the vegetable broth. I cooked them for around 20 min, and then added shredded parmesan and sheddar. After pureeing the soup, I added the heavy cream and few fresh basil leaves, and let the soup simmer for few minutes It was a real success! Thanks for this great recipe.
I always use evaporated skim milk in the can instead of heavy cream or 1/2&1/2 in my recipes. It has less calories and does not compromise on looks. You may need to adjust for flavor.
I made this in the slower cooker last week and it was fabulous! Definitely a comfort food and so easy to make. I didn’t have an immersion blender so I just used a regular blender. It wasn’t as smooth as it looks in the pictures but didn’t affect the taste one bit. So delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Chungah,
Your recipes are always delicious! I’m making the tomato basil soup today and just realized my crock-pot is only 4qt (not 6qt). Where would you suggest I cut the recipe down so it fits? One less 28 oz can of tomatoes?
Many thanks for the reply
Karen
Karen, it may be best to cut down on all ingredients by 1/4 or so. Hope that helps!
Why the whole tomatoes if you then smash them with a spoon?
Where I live we don’t have canned tomatoes with basil, what can I use instead?
Do you have access to any kind of canned tomatoes?
I made this today and it is Damn Delicious! This is a keeper. I like mine a little sweeter so I added another couple of teaspoons. Yum. Topped with croutons and shredded parmesan. OMG! Thanks for (all) your recipes.
I really enjoy your recipes but I try not to use any tomato products packed in a can due to the dangerous chemical in the lining of the can.
You could use jarred tomatoes.
I’m one of those (apparently) weird people who prefers tomato soup to not be creamy. Do you think I could just leave out the cream?
Yes, absolutely!
Could I swap out crushed tomatoes and skip the part about squishing them?
Yes, absolutely.
I love all your recipes and I am so glad you posted this easy recipe for crock pot tomato soup. Thank you for all you do!
This looks amazing! I totally need to make this soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Yummmmm! Can’t wait to try this! Pinning to one of my boards. Need to try your cauliflower steaks too.
Looks amazing as always! Legit love anything with basil haha. I really hate to prod but I’ve been reading your posts for quite a while now-and I’m just wondering what happened with Jason! I know you two got married but I haven’t heard about him for such a long time! Again, hate to be nosy but I just hope everything is alright 🙂
Tomato Basil soup is my favorite. I am making this tomorrow! Thanks, Chungah!
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’m really enjoying your recipes. I was in such a cooking slump and your recipes have improved the dinners in my house. Thank you! I am going to make this tomato soup, but what could I use in place of the heavy cream? Thanks!
You can substitute half and half. Hope that helps!
Hi, this looks yummy. Do you drain the tomatoes first?
No need to!
Hello, If i didn’t want to use the cream in the recipe could i use yogurt instead?
Thank You
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
You can’t cook it with the yogurt because it will curdle. What you can do instead is make the recipe without the cream and stir in some yogurt to your bowl of soup when you’re going to eat it. It will taste just as yummy and creamy.
I always use evaporated skim milk in the can for all my recipes that call for heavy cream or 1/2&1/2. It reduces the calories and the creamy texture is not compromised. You might have to adjust the amount to suit your taste.
You can also use fat free half & half! Similar consistency and taste to heavy cream with a lot fewer calories
I always use kefir instead of cream. You won’t even know the difference.