This 10-minute spicy tomato soup is easy to make with canned diced tomatoes. The perfect choice for a light lunch or dinner, or a delicious appetizer.
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Homemade tomato soup is a staple on my meal plan, and this spiced tomato soup with basil and chili is one of my favorites.
You can adjust the spice in this recipe to suit your preference, or omit it completely for a kid friendly version. The heat from the chilies tastes amazing with the tomatoes.
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Why you'll love it
- Easy to make tomato soup recipe
- Uses affordable ingredients, and mostly pantry staples
- Only takes 10 minutes
- Customize the flavors to suit your preferences
- Flavorful and healthy tomato soup
- Instant Pot and slow cooker options
- Vegan, gluten free, dairy free and suitable for most diets
Ingredients
Canned diced tomatoes: Also known as tinned chopped tomatoes in the UK. These are really inexpensive, and easy to find in most supermarkets. You can alternatively use canned plum tomatoes if you prefer.
Vegetable stock: Use store bought vegetable broth, or water and a bouillon cube. Alternatively, use chicken broth if you don't mind the soup not being vegetarian.
Celery: Adds amazing flavor to the soup. You can omit this if you like, or use a little celery salt instead.
Onion: Red onion, white onion or yellow onions will all work well. You can even use shallots if you prefer.
Chili: Fresh chilies add spice to the soup. Different chilies have different levels of spice, so choose a milder or spicier chili to suit your preferences.
Garlic: Garlic cloves, garlic paste and garlic powder all work well.
Sugar: A pinch of sugar can be added to balance out the acidity of canned tomatoes. This can be omitted, but I recommend adding it if you're using low quality canned tomatoes.
Basil: Fresh or dried basil both work well. It adds flavor to the soup, and can be omitted if you wish.
Seasoning: Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning add amazing flavors to this dish. You can adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences, or use any other herbs and spices that you like.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Sautee diced garlic, onion, chili and celery with extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Two: Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, and stir to combine. Cover the pot with a lid, and allow the soup to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Three: Blend the spicy tomato soup smooth with a hand blender or immersion blender. Alternative, you can also use a regular blender. Add seasoning to taste, and serve.
Top tips
- Make the soup really spicy by adding extra red pepper flakes, an additional chili, or using a spicy chili variety. You can also add some chili powder.
- Make the soup mild by omitting the chili and red pepper flakes, or reduce the amount used.
- Keep an eye on the soup, and stir it occasionally to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- If you want to blend the soup using a regular stand blender, you might have to do it in several batches. You should only fill the blender ⅓ full to prevent the soup from exploding everywhere.
Serving suggestions
This spicy tomato soup is best served as a light entree for lunch or dinner, or in smaller servings as a simple appetizer.
You can top your soup with homemade croutons, rosted hazelnuts, chili oil, or a drizzle of ginger scallion sauce.
Serve the tomato soup with some toasted or crusty bread on the side. Sweet potato flatbread, flaxseed crackers, air fryer grilled cheese sandwich and air fried garlic bread are also delicious options.
Variations
Creamy tomato soup: Add milk, heavy cream, half and half, or creme fraiche to taste before serving the soup.
Other seasoning: You can add any dried or fresh herbs that you like. Try adding mixed dried herbs, dried thyme, fresh parsley, freshly ground black pepper, tarragon, oregano, lemon zest, sumac, harissa and cumin are excellent options.
Instant Pot method: Sautee the vegetables on SAUTE setting. Add the remaining ingredients, and pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure, then blend the soup smooth and serve.
Slow cooker method: Add the ingredients to a slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or LOW for 6-8 hours. Blend the soup smooth and serve.
Equipment
To make this easy spicy tomato soup with chili, you will need a large pot. Additionally, you will need a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the soup, and a sharp knife and cutting board to prepare the vegetables.
Use a hand blender, immersion blender or standard blender to blend the soup smooth before you serve it.
Storage
Store any leftover spicy tomato soup in a refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months. You can defrost the soup in a refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the soup in a microwave, or on the stove for a few minutes until it's warm throughout.
This soup is great for meal prep, or for make ahead meals for lunch or dinner. If you make a big batch, you can enjoy leftovers for several weeks or months.
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Frequently asked questions
You can add any spices or herbs to tomato soup. Garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, chili powder, dried thyme, basil, oregano, salt and pepper are popular choices.
Yes! You can replace the canned diced tomatoes with tomato passata, crushed tomatoes or plain tomato sauce to make soup.
Tomato soup is any soup made with tomatoes. Tomato bisque is a type of tomato soup, sometimes based on shellfish like lobster or crab, which contains cream. So tomato bisque is a creamy tomato soup which may or may not include shellfish.
"Cream of" soups usually contains cream, and are completely smooth soups. This includes blended soups, which does not contain any chunks of meat or vegetables. Some cream of tomato soups may not contain any actual cream or dairy, but taste as if they do - for example by having a creamy smooth consistency.
You might also like these recipes
- Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Spring Onion Soup
- Spicy Red Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Spicy Tomato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans canned diced tomatoes (UK: tinned chopped tomatoes)
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 stick celery
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 small chilies
- 1 handful basil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Peel and dice the onion and chili. Slice the celery finely, and grate the garlic. Remove the basil leaves from the stalk, and rip them to smaller pieces.1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 small chilies, 1 handful basil, 1 stick celery
- Warm up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, chili, garlic and celery, and sautee for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.2 teaspoons olive oil
- Add the red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning to the pot, and sautee for another minute.½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Then, add the vegetable stock, basil leaves, canned diced tomatoes, and sugar. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cover the pot with a lid, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it down to a simmer. Leave the tomato soup to cook for around 5 minutes.
- Use a hand blender or immersion blender to blend the soup smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup immediately while warm.¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
Video
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the seasoning however you like. For example, try using other fresh or dried herbs, or any other spices that you like.
- Add more chili or red pepper flakes to make the soup spicier, or make a mild version by omitting these ingredients.
- Store any leftover tomato soup in a fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months. Reheat it on the stove or in a microwave.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- If you use a stand blender, you should avoid filling it more than ⅓ of full capacity. This will prevent the blender from shattering.
- Be careful to avoid splashing hot soup on yourself.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Tim
Excellent lunchtime soup
I used half the garlic and no sugar and it was great.
From start to finish it probably took me 35 minutes.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.