How to Make Canned Tomato Soup Better (2024)

Want to know how to make canned tomato soup better quickly and easily? Make your can of Campbell's gourmet with a few easy additions! Ready in about 10 minutes!

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How to Make Canned Tomato Soup Better - quickly and easily!

Make your canned tomato soup taste like homemade tomato soup in about 10 minutes! For this easy recipe, you'll add some aromatics (like fresh basil and garlic) and cream to the condensed tomato soup, for a creamy, gourmet soup that pairs perfectly with a classic grilled cheese sandwich!

Ingredients that make canned tomato soup better

To make this dressed up canned tomato soup, you will need:

• 2 tablespoon butter.
• 1 clove minced garlic. I like fresh, but you could use about 1 teaspoon of jarred in a pinch.
• A can of condensed tomato soup. I love classic Campbell's tomato soup, but any condensed soup will do.
• ½ can heavy cream, and ½ can 2% milk. You read that right. Pour them right into the can! You could also use a full can of half and half.
• Fresh basil. You'll throw a little bunch in and simmer it, then remove it. So you get all the flavor, without all those minced pieces floating around. You can garnish with some fresh basil at the end, too.
• Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt, to balance out the flavors.

How to Make Canned Tomato Soup Better

Follow these easy steps to dress up your next can of tomato soup!

1. Heat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, and melt the butter.
2. Add the garlic and stir.
3. Cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the condensed soup, half can of milk, half can of cream, salt, and pepper.
5. Stir well to combine.
6. Redice heat to low, and add basil.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove basil and serve!

What makes this soup great?

Using Part Heavy Cream

Using a combination of milk and heavy cream gives the soup a luxurious, creamy richness, like that of a restaurant quality tomato soup. The cream also helps to mellow the acidity of the tomatoes.

Basil infusion

Adding the whole sprig (or cluster) of basil leaves and allowing it to simmer releases all the delicious basil flavor into the soup. This way, you get all the flavor, but are still left with a creamy, silky soup.

Sautéed Garlic

Briefly cooking some fresh garlic in butter before adding the other ingredients helps to release it's flavor, while also mellowing it. This way, each bowl of soup is infused with delicious garlic flavor that isn't overpowering.

Making the soup healthier

If you'd prefer to make this soup a bit lighter, you could substitute the heavy cream for fat free cream, or simply use all 2% milk. You could also replace the butter with a splash of olive oil to saute the garlic.

Mix-ins and additions

Want to make your soup even fancier? Here are some ideas!

• Top the finished bowls off with a bit of fresh grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
• Add about ½ can of diced tomatoes for a chunkier soup.
• Try all half and half instead of half cream and half milk.
• Add a bit of crushed red pepper flakes for some kick.
• Swirl in some sour cream at the end for some richness and tang.
• Make some grilled cheese croutons by cutting your grilled cheese into small pieces and stirring right into the soup, or add some regular croutons for crunch!

Doubling (or tripling) the recipe

This recipe is easily scaled up to feed more people. Just double (or triple, or quadruple) the ingredients per can.

Make Ahead

If you want to prepare this soup in advance, you can make it up to 48 hours ahead. to reheat, add to a Crockpot or Slow Cooker on low, or reheat in a saucepan with a splash of milk until warmed through.

What to serve with the dressed up canned tomato soup

Here are some great ideas for what to serve alongside your dressed up tomato soup:

• A classic grilled cheese, obviously!
• A tuna melt, or a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato.
• Easy Air Fryer Croutons, to stir into the soup for a bit of crunch!
• Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Grilled Cheese.
• Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

See Also

7 Can Chicken Taco SoupCheap and Easy Soup Recipes for Winter and BeyondCreamy Vegetable SoupEasy Chinese Fish Congee (Bubur Ikan)

Storing leftover soup

To store any leftovers, pour cooled soup into an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I would not recommend freezing, since the recipe has some cream.

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© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.

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