Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
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This slow cooker tomato soup is so cozy and so velvety creamy! A true set-and-forget dinner served with homemade parmesan cheddar croutons!
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Made this Wednesday night. Seriously the best homemade tomato soup recipe I’ve tried to date. Makes the perfect amount too with leftovers to freeze.
Why you’ll love slow cooker tomato basil soup
- True set-and-forget dinner. There is absolutely no peeling, no pre-roasting required here. The slow cooker takes care of all that for you, breaking down the tomatoes and cooking low and slow for 7-8 hours. It’s just the best kind of hands-off cooking.
- Velvety, creamy goodness. Once the soup is cooked, you can easily use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker to transform the chunky mix into a creamy, velvety, silky tomato soup in just minutes.
- The homemade croutons are everything. Sure, you can top off the soup with a swirl of heavy cream or half-and-half, but what really makes this is the crispy, crunchy, Parmesan cheddar croutons, soaking up all the flavor!
- Perfect to freeze for later. The leftover soup freezes very well (without the heavy cream), and can keep in the freezer for 3-4 months, offering ready-made cozy meals for months to come.
Key Ingredients
- Tomatoes: 2 large cans of whole peeled tomatoes or 3.5lb of fresh quartered tomatoes
- Liquids: tomato sauce and vegetable broth
- Aromatics: garlic, onion, bell pepper, and tomato paste
- Seasonings: oregano, sugar (to balance acidity), salt, and pepper
- Dairy: heavy cream or half-and-half
- Topping: homemade parmesan cheddar croutons (recipe below)
How to make slow cooker tomato basil soup
- Combine the ingredients. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper, and Parmesan rind into a 6-qt slow cooker, stirring until well combined. Then crush the whole peeled tomatoes into chunks using the back of a wooden spoon.
- Cook. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours until the tomatoes are very soft.
- Make the croutons. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with freshly grated cheddar cheese and Parmesan. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden, stirring halfway.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker, blending until the soup is completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Finish. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and basil, seasoning one last time with salt and pepper. Pro tip: if you are planning for leftovers to freeze, hold off on the heavy cream.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with croutons. Serve warm.
Tools For This Recipe
Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use fresh or canned tomatoes?
Either works well! Canned tomatoes are generally more convenient as they are readily available year-round but fresh tomatoes are great when they are in season (May to October).
How can I make the soup creamy?
You can use a hand-held immersion blender directly in the slow cooker or you can transfer the soup to a blender, blending in batches until smooth.
How long do homemade croutons keep?
Homemade cheddar croutons can keep for 2-3 days, stored in an airtight container (to maintain their crunch) in a cool, dry place. These have a short shelf life as the cheeses contain fat and moisture that can spoil faster than traditional croutons.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers (with dairy) in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, gently reheating on the stovetop until warmed through.
Is tomato soup freezer-friendly?
Yes! Tomato soup freezes very well without the dairy, keeping in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
This slow cooker tomato soup is so cozy and so velvety creamy! A true set-and-forget dinner served with homemade parmesan cheddar croutons!
Video
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
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind, optional
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
For the parmesan cheddar croutons
- 4 cups ciabatta, baguette or sourdough bread cubes, stale and day-old
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Place tomatoes into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in tomato sauce, vegetable broth, garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and Parmesan rind, if using, 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.
For the parmesan cheddar croutons
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- 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.
Equipment
Notes
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes are best. Use canned whole peeled tomatoes such as San Marzano. They are packed at peak ripeness, offering maximum flavor and color. Avoid diced canned tomatoes as this can leave the soup with a grainy texture.
- Add a pinch of sugar. Tomatoes can be overly acidic. Add a small pinch of sugar (1 teaspoon) to mask the acidity and tartness without making the soup sweet.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the tomato soup.
- Vent the blender. An immersion blender will allow you to blend the soup directly in the slow cooker. But if you are using a standard countertop blender instead, remove the center cap of the lid to allow the steam to escape while blending, covering loosely with a towel to prevent splashes.
- Always add the dairy at the end. Dairy can curdle or separate during long hours of heat. Always stir in the heavy cream (or half-and-half) at the end of cooking time after blending the soup.
- Homemade croutons go a long way. Homemade croutons are so much easier to make than you think, allowing you to repurpose stale, leftover bread, and tasting so much better than store-bought croutons.
- Use a good quality sheet pan. A durable sheet pan is ideal when making the homemade croutons – it will last for years with minimal wear and tear, and will help achieve even cooking and avoid warping at high temperatures.
- Freeze without the dairy. Dairy-based soups tend to separate when thawed and reheated. Skip the heavy cream when freezing and allow the blended soup to cool completely, then portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings. Label, date, and freeze for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and gently reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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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)