What do you do when it’s a chilly evening, you don’t have many promising options in the fridge, but you still want something comforting on the table in under an hour? This easy tomato soup from canned tomatoes is my answer — made with evaporated milk, no heavy cream, no fresh tomatoes to peel and seed, just a couple of cans and a handful of pantry staples simmered into something silky and rich-tasting without actually being heavy.
This is literally my girl dinner- the dinner I make for myself to enjoy when my husband isn’t home for dinner, paired with a grilled cheese sandwich of course.
The second autumn is on the horizon, doesn’t matter if it’s still 100 degrees outside, you know this soup is going to be on my weekly rotation! If you’re a soup person, this one would sit nicely alongside Tomato and Oat Soup and Tomato Vermicelli Soup (Kafta Soup) on the blog.
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What makes this a great Every Little Crumb recipe:
- Built entirely from pantry staples and canned goods — no fresh tomatoes to roast or blanch.
- Comes together in one pot, start to finish.
- Creamy and rich, but lighter because it uses evaporated milk (you know you have a can in your pantry now to make karak chai don’t you!) instead of heavy cream.
- Ready in an hour, most of it hands off simmering time.
- Easily doubled if you’re feeding a crowd or want leftovers, and freezes beautifully.
Ingredients you need:
- Olive oil and butter — cooking the onion in both gives you butter’s flavor with less risk of it browning too fast
- Onion and garlic — your aromatic base; don’t rush softening the onion, it builds a lot of the soup’s depth
- Flour — whisked in before the liquid goes in, this makes a light roux that thickens the soup so you don’t need cream
- Chicken stock — for savory depth (you can definitely substitute for vegetable broth)
- Canned whole peeled tomatoes — these get blended smooth at the end, so whole peeled is fine here; they tend to have a rounder, less acidic flavor than pre-crushed tomatoes
- Sugar — just a teaspoon, to take the edge off the tomatoes’ acidity
- Dried oregano and basil — classic, simple seasoning that doesn’t compete with the tomato flavor
- Salt and pepper — to taste
- Evaporated milk — stirred in at the very end for a creamy, rich finish without the heaviness of actual cream
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make easy tomato soup from canned tomatoes:
- Step 1: Melt the olive oil and butter together in a pot over medium heat.
- Step 2: Add the onion and cook until softened, 6-8 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
- Step 3: Stir in the flour to coat the onions.
- Step 4: Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes (with their juices), and the herbs and spices.
- Step 5: Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the tomatoes soften and the soup deepens in color, 30-40 minutes.
- Step 6: Stir in the evaporated milk, then use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend until smooth and creamy.
Hint: Take the pot off the heat before you add the evaporated milk and blend. Dairy that’s simmered hard alongside acidic tomatoes can curdle or “break,” so stirring it in off the heat (or over very low heat) keeps the texture smooth.
Pro Tip
No immersion blender? You can transfer the soup to a stand blender in batches instead — just remove the center cap from the lid and cover it loosely with a kitchen towel so steam can escape, otherwise hot liquid can push the lid off.
How to serve:
My absolute favorite way of enjoying this easy tomato soup is alongside a simple grilled cheese sandwich. Try this killer grilled cheese recipe!
You can of course enjoy this plain, or with some croutons on top or crusty bread for dipping.
Recipe variations:
- Vegetarian: Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock — everything else stays the same.
- Gluten-free: Skip the flour and instead whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a little cold water into a slurry; stir it in during the last 5 minutes of simmering to thicken.
- Dairy-free: Full-fat canned coconut milk can generally stand in for evaporated milk in savory soups, though it will add a coconut flavor and a somewhat different richness.
- Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a swirl of harissa when serving, if you want more heat.
- Extra herby: Stir in a handful of fresh basil at the end, on top of the dried herbs, for a fresher finish.
Storing Leftovers:
Let the soup cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.
To freeze: Although this soup does have dairy in it, I find that it still freezes very well, for up to 2-3 months and thaws without turning grainy. You can freeze in large soup blocks if you have a custom silicone soup freezing tray. I also use silicone muffin molds to freeze so that i can thaw individual portions. You can either thaw overnight in the fridge, or plop the frozen soup blocks into a saucepan and reheat on low.
Expert tips and tricks:
- Don’t rush the onion — a full 6-8 minutes over medium heat builds real flavor at the base of the soup.
- Whisk the flour in fully before adding any liquid so you don’t end up with lumps.
- Take the pot off the heat (or drop it to very low) before stirring in the evaporated milk, to avoid curdling.
- Blend right in the pot with an immersion blender for the smoothest texture and the least cleanup.
- Taste and adjust! You may find you want a pinch of red chili flakes for spice, or some extra salt or black pepper.
Top Tip
If you want an extra-silky, restaurant-style texture, pass the blended soup through a fine mesh strainer after blending. It’s an extra step, but it catches any bits the blender left behind. (I honestly never bother to do this, but could be helpful if your kids are picky about texture)
Recipe FAQs:
Yes — since the soup gets blended smooth at the end either way, crushed tomatoes will work fine and save you a step.
Yes, swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and the rest of the recipe stays the same.
This usually happens when the evaporated milk is added while the soup is still at a hard simmer, or the pot goes back to high heat afterward. Take the pot off the heat (or keep it very low) once the milk goes in.
Yes, see the storing leftovers section above.
No — a regular stand blender works too. Just blend in batches and vent the lid so steam can escape safely (see Pro Tip above).
For a cooked, blended soup like this one, honestly — yes, and the ease factor is unmatched. Canned tomatoes are picked and canned at peak ripeness, so you get the same good flavor and acidity no matter what time of year you’re making this.
A gold standard in canned tomatoes is San Marzano-style tomatoes are a popular choice for soup because they’re naturally sweeter and less acidic than standard varieties. I will however add that I have used a wide range, literally anything I have in the pantry and all have turned out well.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with tomato soup:
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Tomato Soup from Canned Tomatoes
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon flour 22 g
- 3 cups chicken stock homemade, or 1 cube dissolved in 3 cups water
- 2 cans 400g each whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can 170g evaporated milk
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until melted.
- Add the onion and cook until softened, 6-8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the flour and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- Add the evaporated milk, stir, then use an immersion blender to blend until creamy.
Video
Notes
- Whole peeled tomatoes get blended smooth at the end, so crushed tomatoes can be substituted if that’s what you have.
- No fresh chicken stock on hand? A bouillon cube dissolved in 3 cups of water works fine.
- For a vegetarian soup, substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
- Whisk the flour in fully before adding liquid to avoid lumps.
- Take the pot off the heat (or keep it very low) before adding the evaporated milk to avoid curdling.
- Blend until smooth to avoid clumpy bits of tomato.
- Fridge: airtight container, up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently over low-medium heat.
- Freezer: You can freeze the soup for 2-3 months (I prefer to do this in individual portions using silicone molds). Thaw overnight in the fridge, or gently on low heat in a saucepan.
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