Healthy Tomato Basil Soup

Our healthy tomato basil soup is a quick and easy recipe thanks to canned tomatoes. The soup is packed with flavor, but it is low in fat and calories. And the best part is how versatile it is. You can customize it to your liking by adding different herbs or spices.

This healthy tomato soup is perfect for a light lunch or dinner and easy to make ahead of time. It reheats well, so it’s a great option for meal prep. Serve it with a side of crusty bread or a tossed green salad for a complete meal.

Tomato and basil are a classic flavor combination. You can find it in our tomato, basil, and garlic sauce and recipes like our tomato ricotta tart, Caprese salad, and baked eggplant, just for starters. 

You can’t go wrong with this flavorful, nutrient-packed soup.

Here is Why This Recipe Works

• Canned tomatoes make this recipe fast and easy.
  
• Blending the soup gives it a smooth texture, but you can leave it chunky if you prefer. 
  
• Fresh basil adds a peppery herb flavor that compliments the tomatoes perfectly. 
  
• This healthy, low-fat soup is perfect whether you are looking for a light and healthy meal or if you’re following a meal plan like Weight Watchers.
  
• A vegetable trinity gives the soup a flavor base that deepens the flavor without adding many calories. 

The Ingredients

Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to make our healthy tomato basil soup. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details. 

• Olive oil. You can use less oil if you want to reduce the fat and calories further, but this recipe only uses two tablespoons of fat. 
  
• Vegetables: We used onions, carrots, and celery as a base. This blend is called a Mirepoix or Soffritto.
  
• Garlic. Fresh garlic has more “punch” and flavor than dried garlic, but this recipe also works with dried garlic. 
  
• Tomatoes. We used two large cans of whole tomatoes and smashed them. You can also purchase crushed tomatoes.
  
• Chicken broth. You can also use vegetable broth or homemade bone broth. 
  
• Fresh basil. Different types of basil vary slightly in their flavor profile. Try lemon basil or sweet basil for a mild flavor or Thai basil for a bit more ‘punch’. 
  
• Fresh parsley. You can use flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley.
  
• Salt and pepper. 
  
• Sour cream or Greek Yogurt. A dollop of sour cream or Greek Yogurt will give the soup a creamy, indulgent flavor. 

How to Make Healthy Tomato Soup

Here is a brief overview to get an idea of how to make tomato soup with canned tomatoes. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Add the vegetables to a large pot and saute them until they are soft.

Add the tomatoes along with all the juices. Smash them with a fork or a potato masher.

Add the broth, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup until smooth. You can either use a stick blender or transfer the soup to a standard blender.

If you want a boost of protein make a salad with avocado and chicken or our salmon salad with strawberries.

Tips for Success

• We used San Marzano tomatoes (as we did in our San Marzano sauce) because they have a sweeter flavor and less acidity. However, any tomato variety will work.
• If you don’t use San Marzano tomatoes, you may want to add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. 
• Get creative and change up the flavor. Most herbs and spice blends will not add calories to the nutritional profile. We added some ideas for flavor additions in the recipe notes. 
• If you use a standard blender to puree the soup, work in batches, so you don’t fill the blender too much. Also, keep the blender vented so the steam can escape. 
• You can puree the soup right in the pot if you have a stick blender.

Frequently Asked Questions

This tomato soup recipe was adapted from my Soup Bible cookbook.

Helpful Tools

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• Large pot or Dutch oven
• Stick blender or stand blender

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Healthy Tomato Basil Soup

This healthy tomato basil soup is easy to prepare versatile, and so delicious! It is thick with crushed tomatoes and lots of basil. We used San Marzano tomatoes but any type of tomato will work.

This soup only has 55 calories per serving and it is low in fat but big on flavor. It is perfect if you are looking for a guilt-free meal or if you are following a meal plan like Weight Watchers.

4.80 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 54kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 cans 28 ounces each whole tomatoes **
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt for garnish

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Instructions

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat and add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook just until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes with their juice, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the chicken broth, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to low, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Working in batches, add the soup to the food processor or blender (do not overfill the container). Puree the soup to a thick consistency then return it to the soup pot and reheat. Alternatively, you can use a stick blender to puree the soup right in the pot.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Ladle into serving bowls and serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt on top.

Notes

• San Marzano DOP tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than other canned tomatoes. If you don't use San Marzano DOP tomatoes, you may want to add 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.

• If you use a standard blender or food processor to puree the soup, do not over-fill it. Keep the lid of the blender slightly ajar so it vents. Alternatively, you can cover the blender with a dish towel instead of the lid.

Ideas for Healthy Flavor Variations

You can add any of the following spices without changing the nutritional profile.

• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1-1/2 teaspoons rosemary Dijon blend
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Ooomami blend Umami blend

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 501mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

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This recipe was originally published on September 18, 2015. We updated the photos and added some helpful tips. We left one of the original photos below.

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