Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
This slow cooker tomato soup is so cozy and so velvety creamy! A true set-and-forget dinner served with homemade parmesan cheddar croutons!
Featured Comment
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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.