This recipe for Tomato Pesto Soup with Cheesy Croutons is a delicious soup that can be served hot or cold, so it can be enjoyed year-round!
Tomato Soup From Scratch with A Flavorful Twist
Who doesn’t love tomato soup? Growing up, my mother would serve it with grilled cheese. This recipe is a grown-up twist on that childhood favorite. Why not serve with my Perfect Garlic Bread and really push the boat out!
For information on how to make your own red pesto see my post for Homemade Red Pesto.
Why This Recipe Works
Between the cheesy croutons and the punch of flavor that the pesto adds, this soup really is incredible! For the pesto, I use my red pesto recipe that’s super simple to make, but you can use whatever pesto you prefer.
What Tomatoes For Tomato Soup
For this soup, I use canned tomatoes. Canning companies keep the best quality tomatoes for canning whole tomatoes as they have to look the part so I always recommend whole canned tomatoes.
How to Make Tomato Pesto Soup
Start with adding the carrots, celery, and onion to a food processor with the regular blade.
Chop until small pieces are formed. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and salt, and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan cheese, and using a hand blender puree the soup until smooth.
To Make the Cheese Croutons
Heat your broiler/grill to medium-high heat. Place the toasted bread on a cookie sheet and butter them. Spread the cheese evenly over the slices and place under the broiler/grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute (until melted and golden brown).
Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes. Serve the soup with a dollop of red pesto and warm cheesy croutons.
More Great Soup Recipes
Erren’s Top Tips
- When cooking the garlic, be careful not to let it brown too much. Burned garlic will taste bitter and change the flavor of the soup.
- For an added intensity of tomato flavor add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the tomatoes before adding the stock.
- Add cream for a velvety texture.
- Serve Chilled in the summer for a lovely cold soup option.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
When stored properly, this soup will last up to three days in the refrigerator.
To freeze in a food container, fill the container as much as possible and freeze for up to three months.
To freeze Tomato soup in a freezer bag: Fill the bag three-quarters of the way full, force out as much air as possible before sealing and store flat in the freezer.
FAQs
Tomato Soup freezes well. Be sure to allow it to cool before freezing (don’t leave to cool at room temperature over an hour to avoid harmful bacteria). Portion the soup into freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.
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Let’s Make Tomato Pesto Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 Large Onion chopped
- 1 carrot chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- Red pesto For topping
For the croutons:
- 4 slices of thick sliced white bread toasted
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces white cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Start with adding the carrots, celery, and onion to a food processor with the regular blade.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- remove from the heat, add the Parmesan cheese and using a hand blender puree the soup.
For the Croutons:
- Heat your broiler/grill to medium high heat. Place the toasted bread on a cookie sheet and butter them.
- Spread the cheese evenly over the slices and place under the broiler/grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute (until melted and golden brown)
- Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Serve the soup with a dollop of red pesto and warm cheesy croutons.
Tips + Notes
- When cooking the garlic, be careful not to let it brown too much. Burned garlic will taste bitter and change the flavor of the soup.
- For added intensity of tomato flavor add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the tomatoes before adding the stock.
- Add cream for a velvety texture.
Caroline Taylor says
This was so delicious, great way to use tomatoes in the summer.
Erren says
Thank you Caroline 🙂