Easy Homemade Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Topper

Homemade Tomato Soup is a rich, simple, delicious soup that comes together easily. But when it is topped off with toasted bread and melted cheese, this soup turns into the ultimate cheesy comfort food. 

Prepare this simple homemade tomato soup in on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot, for an easy, flavorful meal.

Easy Homemade Tomato Soup

We are not talking about canned tomato soup here.

We are talking about rich, creamy homemade tomato soup that will leave your taste buds satisfied.

This tomato soup is made with a flavorful base of onions and garlic and oregano but kept simple by using canned tomatoes—meaning you can make this soup all winter long without garden fresh tomatoes. 

And what is a tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich?

My family would call that insanity!

So how about topping this homemade tomato soup with a thick slice of toasted bread and smothering with cheese?

After one bite of this homemade tomato soup—YOU WILL NEVER EAT ANOTHER CAN OF TOMATO SOUP AGAIN!

How to Make Stove Top Tomato Soup

• Heat oil over medium heat.
• Add diced onions and saute for 5 minutes or until shallots begin to become translucent.
• Add the minced garlic and oregano salt and pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the broth, honey, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes is sufficient but the flavor that is developed from longer simmering is amazing!!
• Use an immersion blender or blender to puree soup until smooth, if desired. If using an immersion blender, be sure that your stock pan is stainless steel–not a bottom that can be scratched up with the metal blades. 

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup Instructions

• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet.
• Saute shallots, garlic, and oregano for 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer sauteed veggies to slow cooker, along with the stock and canned tomatoes, honey, and spices.
• Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
• Puree soup using a blender or an immersion blender, if desiring a smooth consistency.

Instant Pot Tomato Soup Instructions

• Turn Instant Pot to saute function.
• Once heated, add in oil and saute shallots, garlic, and oregano for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the stock and tomatoes. DO NOT MIX.
• Place lid on the pressure cooker and set vent knob to seal.
• Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
• Puree soup using a blender or an immersion blender, if desiring a smooth consistency.

Grilled Cheese Topper

The grilled cheese topping is completely optional, but it makes this tomato soup much heartier and so much more fun to eat–much like French Onion Soup.

To prepare the cheese topping:

• Slice bread slices to fit on top of soup bowls.
• Toast bread on each side in the broiler.
• Place cheese on each slice of bread and return to the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Immediately before serving top each bowl of soup with cheese toast.

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Homemade Tomato Soup with an optional Cheesy Topping

An easy recipe for tomato soup that can be made on the stove, in a slow cooker, or in the Instant pot. This thick and rich easy homemade tomato soup is deliciou on its own, but is out of this world when topped with a giant cheese crouton.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

Tomato Soup

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 large shallot diced
• ▢ 2 cloves of garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 4 cups homemade chicken stock or your favorite store bought stock
• ▢ 2 15 oz can or cartons of diced tomatoes in juice unsalted
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

Grilled Cheese Topper (Optional)

• ▢ 6 slices thick bread
• ▢ 6-8 oz colby jack cheese shredded or sliced

Instructions

Stove Top Tomato Soup Directions

• Heat oil over medium heat. Add diced shallots and saute for 5 minutes or until shallots begin to become translucent. Add the minced garlic and oregano salt and pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the broth, honey, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring occassionally.
• Puree the soup in batches in a blender with the lid slightly cracked to allow steam to espape or by using an immersion blender.

Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

• Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Saute  shallots, garlic and oregano for 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer sauteed veggies to slow cooker, along with the stock and canned tomatoes, honey, and spices. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Puree before serving if desired.

Instant Pot Tomato Soup

• Turn Instant Pot to saute function. Once heated, add in oil and saute shallots, garlic, and oregano for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the stock, honey, seasonings and tomatoes. DO NOT MIX.
• Place lid on the pressure cooker and set the vent knob to sealed. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
• Let pressure release naturally and then puree if desired.

Grilled Cheese Topper

• Heat the broiler to high on your oven.
• Slice bread slices to fit on top of soup bowls. Toast bread on each side. Place cheese on each slice of bread and return to the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
• Ladle the soup in 6 bowls. Top the soup with the toasted cheese bread.

Equipment Needed

• Immersion Blender

Notes

Nutrition values are based on soup without grilled cheese crouton. 

• The higher quality the canned tomatoes, the less amount of time the tomato soup has to cook down. If you use San Marzano tomatoes, you can cut the cooking time down to 30 minutes and still have fabulous results.
• This tomato soup is already Gluten Free. But to make these Grilled Cheese Croutons Gluten-Free, use your favorite Gluten-Free Bread.
• Puree your soup using an immersion blender or blender. This is not necessary, but smooth soups are preferred in my household.
• Top the tomato soup with the grilled cheese toast, right before serving to keep my giant grilled cheese crouton from getting soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 938mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 8.8mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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