A simple tomato soup made with butter, Onions, and canned SAN Marzano tomatoes. Based on Marcella Hazan’s ketchup recipe. This creates just the right kind of warm atmosphere.

This tomato soup is everything right now! It is made from 5 ingredients – mimicking the iconic Masala Hazan tomato sauce recipe!

I would never say no to a bowl of tomato soup with a hot crust, butter, salty garlic bread, or grilled cheese; this dish is so simple that you have no reason not to make it for dinner immediately.

Watch How To Make This Tomato Soup

It was one of the happiest things I ate in October.

I made a Marcella Hazan-style pasta sauce, but when we tasted it in the office, Jenna said, “It reminds me of tomato soup!” This sentence got me hooked. I started eating it as tomato soup instead of ketchup and realized it was a radical change.

One day, returning from a cold day of hiking with the girls (and by “hiking,” I mean walking at a snail’s pace, getting in and out of a stroller, picking up 100 acorns, and admiring the colorful trees within 3 blocks), I put this in a quick cooker, stirred up a batch of garlic bread, and gobbled it up. This is probably my favorite meal of 2023—doing the right thing at the right time.

We already have a great tomato soup on the site, so I’d like to know if making another one is necessary. Ultimately, they apply to two different kinds of moments.

1. Homemade tomato soup: If you want a fantastic tomato soup with complex flavors, this is for you. It’s like a gorgeous, ultimate, impressive tomato soup.
2. 5 Ingredients Tomato Soup: Now, this, the newest addition to the family, is very simple. It tastes just like tomatoes. And butter. A little bit of onion and some garlic, but primarily tomatoes. It’s minimal, classic, straightforward, but also… Rich, sweet, lovely. There are no extra bells and whistles, just a simple buttery tomato flavor.

Grilled cheese is the signature pairing for tomato soup. While we’ve done it a few times this fall (waffle grilled cheese with soft, waxy white bread, don’t @me), the garlic bread + tomato soup pairing is underrated and worth considering. More controversially, I also add some pasta to the tomato soup (yes!).

Back to the garlic bread: the golden crispy crust, the bread’s crispness, the butter’s chewiness, the fresh garlic-herb flavor, and the smooth tomato soup—it’s like they were made for each other.

How to make simple tomato soup

Step 1: Add everything to the pan.

• Canned SAN Marzano tomatoes,
• Onion cubes,
• And butter! That’s it!

I use DeLallo San Marzano tomatoes. We love DeLallo and have been advertising this for years. They have the best products, from pasta to sauces to canned tomatoes, many of which are imported from Italy. They set such high standards for quality.

Along with the tomatoes and butter, there’s a pinch of salt. Sometimes, I add crushed garlic cloves. Hence the title “5 Ingredients”.
(I’m showing an instant pot, but you can also do it in a large Dutch oven on the stovetop.)

Step 2: Cook for a while. Then, remove the onion chunks.

When they’re done, remove the onion cubes. We’re just injecting flavor!

Step 3. Blend!

I use an immersion blender to blend directly into the pan. The butter is emulsified, which makes it slightly creamy. The whole process is sweet, velvety, simple, and delightful.

Can you believe it? That’s it. You’re done.
Enjoy. I mean, enjoy this sweet moment. ♡

• To make tomato soup, Place the tomatoes, butter, and Onions in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Turn the heat down to a little bubble, then turn down the heat to medium-low. Cover partially; cook for 45 minutes. Stir it every 15 minutes or so to prevent the bottom from burning.
• Chop onion cubes: Use tongs to chop onion cubes. I’ll leave the garlic there, but that’s up to you!
• Blend the tomato soup: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches the desired smoothness. Taste and adjust. You can dilute it with milk, water, broth, cream, or anything else you want. I’ll leave it the way it is!
• To serve: Garnish with garlic bread, grilled cheese, croutons, crackers, pesto, whatever you like!
• Do this in an instant pot: Put everything into the pot and cook for 20 minutes to release the pressure. Remove the onion chunks and stir! The advantage of this method is that you don’t need to look after it—you can just put it aside, and it won’t burn. It’s very hands-off. I find the oven-baked flavor sweeter and more intense because of the higher caramelization, but both methods are great.