This Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup recipe is just like you remember! Fresh ingredients make this homemade soup taste even better than the original!
Love easy soup recipes as much as we do? Definitely check out everyone’s favorite Beefy Tomato Soup and this comforting Chicken Pot Pie Soup!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
Soup recipes bring me right back to my childhood, and this Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup is now one of my family favorites!
Especially our little guy. He loves tomato soup. Even if there’s more stuff in it than just plain tomatoes like our Beefy Tomato Soup recipe. But most of all he loves eating soup with a piece of bread or a cracker instead of a spoon, no utensils required.
It’s one of the few meals that we don’t have to sit and say “take a bite…” every couple of minutes. It’s not that he’s not a good eater – he just gets very distracted unless it’s something he’s really into eating.
So then we remembered those famous Campbell’s soup recipes we had growing up, and wanted to recreate a homemade version. Forget what you remember because this Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup recipe is going to blow the old memories away!
Ingredients You Need To Make This Tomato Soup
- Whole Milk: Whole milk is really what works best in this recipe. Low fat or skim just won’t give the soup the right flavor.
- Tomato Sauce & Tomato Puree: Both are need to make this tomato soup. Puree is thicker than tomato sauce so one balances the other out.
- Chicken Broth: We played around with this recipe using no broth too, we think that just a cup of chicken broth adds a lot to the flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is always best!
- Sugar: Just a little sugar will help tame any bitterness from the canned tomatoes.
How To Make Campbell’s Tomato Soup
It’s so easy to get your favorite, nostalgic soup recipe at home with just a few basics!
You start with a simple, homemade tomato soup base. Tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic, seasonings and whole milk…
Swap out heavy or light cream if you have it on hand but using whole milk will make the taste and the texture more like the original soup recipe. Or try using half of each!
After the soup cooks for a while, blend it up with a stick blender (my preferred method) or you can transfer it to a regular blender. The key here is zero chunks, it has to be smooth and creamy just like the original tomato soup recipe.
Pour this tomato soup into big bowls or mugs and dig in with your preferred utensil.
Can You Freeze This Tomato Soup Recipe?
This recipe makes a whole big pot of soup so if you’re not going to use all of it you can freeze it for another meal!
The best way to freeze any sup with dairy is to leave the dairy product out of the last step. If you’re using heavy cream the soup will freeze fine but milk is better when added fresh to the recipe.
Once you defrost your soup just heat in a pot until warm, stir in the whole milk and serve!
This soup recipe can be on the table in less than 30, so you can make it ahead of time or make it right before you need dinner! This isn’t one of those recipes that gets better as it sits so if you need dinner ASAP, this is the soup for you!
Looking For More Soup Recipes?
- Slow Cooker Ham and Noodle Soup
- Homemade Turkey Soup
- Slow Cooker Beefy French Onion Soup
- Smoked Turkey Split Pea Soup
Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeA homemade version of the original canned tomato soup! This Copycat Campbell’s Tomato Soup is going to take you back, it tastes just like you remember only better!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
- 1 28 oz. can tomato puree
- 1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat with the olive oil.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring.
- Next add in the garlic and stir, cooking for a minute more, then add in the salt, pepper, oregano and sugar. Stir and cook for another minute, then stir in the can of tomato paste.
- Carefully pour in the tomato puree, sauce and chicken broth.
- Stir together and cook for 15 minutes covered partially with a lid.
- After the soup has cooked, pour in the milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Taste for seasonings and serve.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Tomato soup is my favorite! This looks so good I wish I had some right now!
Thanks Megan – it’s super easy to make too!
I’ve made this 3 times now and love it more and more every time. Easy and quick. One suggestion I have is use 1/2 of a Vidalia onion. White or yellow onions are too strong in my opinion and the flavor is overpowering.
I’ve also tried it without the oregano at first thinking it would taste too much like a pasta sauce. But found that it does not when added. I do however leave out the salt since I have to watch my sodium intake.
Tricked my 5 year old. Enough said!
Thank you for this. I’m much happier serving her something homemade instead of concentrated.
I love this and the presentation is just wonderful! I want those glasses!
Thanks Ashely! I found them at Home Goods – hopefully you have one in your area! I’ve gotten so many comments on them I should run and see if I can find some more and get them to all of you!
This looks so comforting!
Thank you Jocelyn, it sure does the trick!
that soup looks great, but those mugs have me hooked! ha!
Nicole, the mugs have us hooked too. It’s really fun to eat out of them!
This looks delicious, and I love your glass mugs – I need them in my life and may refuse to eat (drink) soup without them. Where did you find them?
Could this soup be canned and kept in fridge for several months?
I’m sure that it can be, I just don’t have the canning instructions for you. We freeze the soup in small portions and heat it up when we need it.
I am in love with your mugs and the soup looks AMAZING!
Thank you Serena! The mugs definitely make it!
I love tomato soup, it’s so comforting. Perfect for any day. Will make some for my little one that has the flu and hasn’t been eating well. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh thanks Wanda, we hope it helps to make it all better!
Can you pressure can this recipe or water bath can it? If so at what pressure/time?
Valerie, I’m not sure about that. It’s not a pressure cooker recipe and I don’t have a lot of experience with that. It freezes really well if you’re looking to make a big batch and have it for later!
I wouldn’t can this recipe solely based on the milk/cream ingredient. Research ingredients not to can. It’s enlightening.
Oh Wow! I just made a double batch of this and it is fantastic! I’m making homemade jalapeño cheese bread for grilled cheese sammies to go with it! Thank you!
Well that sounds amazing Lana! Thanks for letting me know, glad you liked it!
Saw your post, Lana. Had just made some beer bread with jalapeno and cheese, so I sliced that up and made grilled cheese to go with this soup…..WOW, so good!
Can you freeze it with the milk added? Or should you leave it out and add it when heating it up? Want to make a healthier version like this for DH who loves Campbell’s tomato soup
You can definitely freeze it with the milk we do it all the time!
What’s the difference (ingredients-wise) between tomato puree and tomato sauce?
This looks fabulous and I’m Jonesing big time for Campbell’s tomato soup to enjoy with our grilled cheese sandwiches so I will give this a try… we love in Nepal so no Campbell’s anything even if I wanted it!
Tomato puree is thicker than sauce, it makes a difference but use what you have, it’ll still come out great!
So I finally made this soup today. WOW! SOOOO good. I ended up putting it in a blender because my immersion blender just wasn’t getting the onion pureed! Also, I could NOT find tomato puree in the store so I used this ratio: 2 tablespoons tomato paste to one cup of water for the tomato puree. Other than that, I didn’t change a thing. I think this is BETTER than Campbells by far. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
So glad you liked it Anne! We make it all the time and freeze it for a quick meal! In our store the puree is usually right next to the tomato sauce, it wasn’t there at your store?
I made this mostly for my husband who LOVES Campbell ‘s soup. He said it was good, but not exactly like CAmpbell’s. ???? I like it. My onions also did not purée well with a stick blender. Next time I make it, I’ll do the same thing and whir it in the big blender.
Nope, not exactly like Campbells…we think better!
1) How many servings does this make?
2) Has anyone tried almond milk with this?
Hi Linette, the recipe card says it serves 8. That depends on the serving size but it should feed 8 comfortably. I haven’t tried it with Almond milk but let me know if you do!
This soup is excellent! The flavor knocks the socks off of Campbell’s. Due to a family aversion to onions I subbed shallots and it was great. Shallots are severely underrated.
I actually agree! That’s a great substitution. I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Just made my first batch. Can this be successfully frozen?
Yes it can, we freeze it all the time!
Soooooo Good! Thanks for recipe!
How do I convert this recipe to fresh tomatoes from my garden
I’m not 100 percent sure about that Rob. You might have to play around with it, but I bet you can make it work!
What would you suggest using if we do not have an immersion blender?
You can use a regular blender too, just cool it down a little before blending.
If you didn’t make your Campbell’s soup with milk do you just leave that out or sub more water? We never used milk so I am unsure and eager to try this. Thank you!
I’m really not sure what to tell you to do here, water wouldn’t add any flavor to the soup so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.
We usually use water, too. I made this recipe with half milk and half water and it was perfect. I also only added half the salt. We love Campbell’s Tomato Soup in our house but wanted a healthier option. This soup tasted just like the tea desk! Thank you!!!
“Real deal” not “tea desk”! ????
Thanks for clearing that up, I would have gone crazy trying to figure that one out! Also happy to hear that you like the soup, thanks for letting us know!
I’m not sure how much vegetables cost elsewhere, but where I live it’s cheaper just to buy the Campbell’s tomato soup.
I think you missed the point of the recipe, it wasn’t my goal to provide something cheaper. Just tastier, and not a processed can of soup.
This soup is amazing. I have made it repeatedly and we love it!!
That’s great! We love it too – thanks for sharing!
What if I don’t have either an immersion blender or regular blender? What do you suggest? This soup sounds delicious & I’d love to give it a tey.
This soup really does need to be blended for the best flavor and texture. There is a link at the bottom of the post to buy an immersion blender, they are only about 25 bucks and you can use them for so many things. Also, they don’t take up as much space as a blender so if you’re short on storage space I’d say that’s the way to go.
You could try finely grating the onion and garlic — on a microplane grater or the tiny holes on a box grater. You won’t get as smooth of a soup, but you also won’t have the chunks of onion and such. A mini food chopper could work in a pinch, too, for the grating part. That said, I love my immersion blender and use it for soups and sauces. It’s definitely earned its place in our kitchen, even though it is an extra gadget. As pointed out, it takes up a lot less space than a blender, and stores pretty easily in a drawer.
My wife and I made this soup tonight for dinner, we both agree this beats canned soup hands down, this will be our go to tomato soup. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for giving us your feedback, we always appreciate it!
This soup is perfect! I love tomato soup but the canned soup just doesn’t fit anymore and I have been looking for a long time for just the right blend. This one is the perfect tomato soup for me. I have eaten a lot and frozen some of it. I can’t seem to get enough. Thanks for posting this recipe Anytime I want tomato soup I will use this recipe!
We make this soup all the tie, I’m so glad you liked it Marilyn!
I have made this many times and it’s delicious every time!! Goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches. The only addition I make is 1 tsp baking soda just before I add the milk so it doesn’t curdle.
Why would you think that the milk would curdle?
I have made your recipe at least 4 times now and froze it each time. But I’m wondering if I left the milk out of it till we go to eat it could you can the soup??
I’m not sure, I don’t have any experience with canning but let me know if you find out!
Stunningly delicious soup. I may add some tofu for an additional shot of protein.
This is an amazing, easy to make recipe. No more canned soup!
Can this be cooked on low in the crock pot?????
It’s not a crock pot recipe, but you can certainly try!
Have made it several times. Very simple. I have subbed veggie broth and used extra creamy oat milk and it we really enjoy! I also add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to add some cheesiness!
Made a 3X batch tonight. Perfection! I used fresh tomatoes from the garden, mixing about 60/40 with paste types (San Marzano, Cipolla’s Pride) and heirloom types (German Johnson, Bloody Butcher, Mortgage Lifter).
I’ll definitely be making another 3X batch tomorrow! All of this is going into a freeze dryer to make a tomato soup powder. Whole milk freeze dries fantastic, unlike in a freezer.
(Also for the gardeners out there….highly recommend Blush onions, cross between red and white onion, leaning toward a shallot flavor with subtle sweetness. Seems to be perfect for this recipe.)
Thank you very much for this recipe! We’ll be enjoying it on you through the coming winter and year!
We’re so glad you liked it!
Made the soup today, bit of a labor of love but it tastes pretty good. As I was finishing up the blending, the adorable glass mugs arrived on my doorstep! Anticipating the soup, I made some crusty French bread yesterday which will be served topped with melted cheese. Can’t wait! Thank you for posting a great recipe.
Just made this and although I don’t think it taste just like cambells it’s pretty darn close! Excellent !
Had difficulty getting rid of small pieces of onion and garlic. Kids didn’t like little pieces next time for them I will use garlic and onion powder. I strained it . Messy.
The soup is supposed to be blended, so there wouldn’t be any pieces of onion and garlic, or any need for straining!
A question! If the broth and milk are omitted, would this combination of ingredients yield something similar to the ‘condensed’ form of Campbell’s soup prior to reconstituting? I have a couple of recipes that call for condensed tomato soup, and I’ve been on the hunt for a homemade version. I don’t have an aversion to using canned soups, but I like to tinker in the kitchen. It’s always fun to make it myself. Some recipes state to use tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and sugar in various combinations. I like the seasonings and aromatics in your recipe. I am willing to try it myself, but was curious if the texture prior to adding the liquids in your opinion would be similar to the condensed can version. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I really don’t have a formal answer for you on that, other than to try it out and see! If you do happen to try that let me know!
This is really good! I subbed this for the canned soup in my quick recipe. Only change is I added some maybe 1/4 cup diced celery with the onion and dont use the blender so a few chunks are left. Also a Tbsp or two of lemon juice really elevates the whole thing!
Made this for dinner tonight.. The wife wanted grilled cheese and tomato soup.. Found this gem and we both agree it IS delicious! I did cut the recipe in half (14 oz cans) and subbed diced tomatoes pureed in the Magic Bullet with the garlic and onions.. The only flaw for us is, the texture is just a touch off with the tomato sauce.. Next time will double diced tomatoes and puree them.. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.. Even this old newbie made it delicious!
Great tip! So glad you liked it!
This recipe is delicious! I wanted an exact copy of Campbell’s tomato soup because I cannot have canned soup because of some dietary limitations. This recipe was perfect for me because I could control the sodium being added to it. The changes I made to suit me were less salt added more chicken stock because I liked it a little bit more watery than it came and I left out the oregano. I’m Italian so whenever I mix oregano and tomatoes I instantly think pasta sauce. Even with the changes I made I could not tell that this was not Campbell’s. It’s delicious!
Can I can the soup after it is cooked? Making it for a gift and don’t want to freeze it.
I don’t have instructions for canning, but I”m sure you can look them up!
I havent made but it looks amazing. Can I replace fresh onion with onion powder?
You can, it’s just that the original soup is smooth. But of course, you can adjust it any way you like!
I halved the recipe based on my pantry contents, and it made 8 cups of soup! I didn’t have tomato puree so I added a can of diced tomatoes to balance the paste to liquid ratio. It was great blended in my blender (hence the exact 8 cups) but seedy. So next time I expect it will taste even better without the added tomato seeds! Perfect for dipping crusty grilled cheese! Thanks!
I stumbled across this recipe about three years ago when my sick daughter was begging for tomato soup, and I didn’t have any in the cupboard. Your recipe saved the day, and it’s now her favorite meal in our dinner rotation, always paired with grilled cheese.
Never, ever any leftovers with this recipe…absolute tomato soup perfection!
So glad she liked it!
I didn’t feel like running to the store to buy the whole peeled tomatoes my “copycat” recipe for Campbell’s Cream of Tomato soup uses (I did have leftover tomato juice in the freezer though) so I used this recipe instead. I do like that this recipe turns out smoother than the one I generally use.
I didn’t follow your seasonings though. Campbell’s secret is a tiny bit of ground cloves in their tomato soup so I ditched the garlic and oregano, added a wee bit of cloves and used ground white pepper instead of black. Mmm mmm good. It was so smooth and creamy and tasted identical to the Campbell’s. I had a lovely dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Thanks!
has anyone that made this ever canned it ?
Very good recipe with perfect flavors. I’m a little surprised that nobody thinks it comes out a bit thick with only one cup of broth though. Mine came out more like a dipping sauce than a soup, probably because my tomato ingredients were lacking in liquid. Adjusting the viscosity of a thick soup can be a personal thing, but I added I added quite a bit more broth to get it to a thinner consistency that stirs easily and cascades off the spoon. The flavors develop very nicely after storing in the fridge for a day or so.
Thanks so much!
Using an immersion blender didn’t make my soup creamy and smooth. What I did was put my onion through a juicer and used the juice. The garlic chunks are in the soup. Not a biggee. This is the third time I’ve made it and have frozen the soup with no problems when thawing in the microwave when it came to the milk. Just like freshly made.