10-Minute Homemade Tomato Soup

Like many of us,  I grew up on canned tomato soup and grilled cheese. It was one of the first dinners I learned how to make. Do you remember learning how to use the can opener as a kid? Squeezing hard enough to pierce the metal while simultaneously twisting the knob – just the memory makes my hands start to cramp. Can openers were obviously not intended for 9 year-olds.

Now, my own kids are refining their can-opening skills. However, they aren’t learning on tomato soup cans. We don’t need to buy canned soup because we’ve completely lost our taste for it. It’s too sweet; it tastes like metal.

We make this instead. It’s 100% better and takes almost the same amount of time.

Budget-Friendly Homemade Tomato Soup

Depending on what you use, this recipe can cost around $.75/serving if you use the whipping cream. If you make the dairy-free version, it costs a little less.

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10-Minute Tomato Soup

Servings: 4

Author: Steph Jenkins

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter or oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• Four 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water or broth
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream*
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream, plain yogurt, diced avocado, crumbled bacon, diced or pickled jalapeños, hot sauce

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, broth, paprika, chili powder, and oregano. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.

2. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or blend it in batches in a countertop blender (only fill the blender halfway – hot liquids expand then explode and make a terrible mess. Ask me how I know). You can also leave the soup as is! Whatever works for you.

4. Serve warm and top as desired.

Recipe Notes

• *Dairy-Free Version: Omit cream and add 2 cups chopped carrots or sweet potatoes with the tomatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a fork. Proceed with the blending, etc.
• Serve with crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches, veggies, or baked potatoes.

Note: These nutrition facts use the heavy whipping cream. The dairy-free version will have fewer calories. The actual calories and nutrition of this dish depend on what ingredients you use.

What You Can Do Now:

What’s your favorite budget-friendly soup?

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