Easy Cream of Tomato Soup (Heinz Style)

This Easy Cream of Tomato Soup recipe is an absolute game changer. Despite the name, this Heinz soup dupe is actually made with milk not cream and although the method seems a little unusual, trust the process because the outcome is simply divine!

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First off I want to acknowledge that this recipe was born from me trying the Best Ever Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe from the lovely Canadian Foodess site. The concept of cooking the tomatoes in what is basically a béchamel sauce is her genius.

I have made a variety of adaptations to the recipe to make it to my preference, the largest and most obvious of which is using fresh cherry tomatoes rather than using canned tomatoes. I’ve also changed up some of the ratios of the ingredients – I use much more onion as a base for example.

What I’ve ended up with is a recipe that I think is remarkably like the Heinz cream of tomato soup that I grew up on and still occasionally eat. I certainly always have at least one tin of it in my cupboard for emergencies. Like I mentioned in my introduction, this is a trust the process recipe. Boy does it look ugly at some stages but once you blitz and sieve the soup, I promise you it’s like magic!

How to Serve Cream of Tomato Soup

For starters this is a hot soup – I don’t find the texture pleasant when it’s cold so I don’t think this recipe is useful as a gazpacho substitute.

I do mostly keep things simple and serve a steaming hot bowl of soup with a swirl of double/heavy cream. And if I’m feeling fancy (or taking photos that I don’t want to bore everyone to death) I’ll snip over some fresh chives.

I’m also not adverse to sprinkling over some grated cheddar or mozzarella to make a beautifully stringy soup mess. With lots of bread and butter to dunk in it. But on this occasion I chose to go one better and serve with my Air Fried Cheese on Toast which really combines the two joys. And it’s handy if your bread isn’t looking quite so fresh!

You can also use the soup as the base of other recipes. I know it’s a very “American” thing to use canned soups in “casseroles” and the like but I do think they’re onto something sometimes. My green bean casserole is certainly a good example of this. So try using the soup as the sauce in a pasta bake or pouring over cubed potatoes, adding extra herbs and spices then baking.

Or you can really just turn a plain old bowl of soup into something more hearty. I do this by adding toppings like sautéed chorizo slices and bacon and/or stir-frying vegetables like peppers, onions and courgettes.

Heinz Tomato Soup Copycat Recipe Ingredients

Tomatoes

My favourite tomatoes to use are cherry tomatoes – for most things but especially this soup. The ratio of tomato flesh to pips and juicy middle is much better than with most larger tomatoes, especially the ones available here in the UK. If you need to use larger tomatoes, cut them in half, give them a squeeze to lose a good chunk of the middle and then weigh them ready to use in the recipe.

The riper the tomatoes, the better flavour they will have so this is a great way to use up any tomatoes that are starting to get a bit soft and not great for salads etc.

If you have a lot of tomatoes to use up, you can add more to the recipe – no more than half as many again. Otherwise just increase the portion size of the soup and therefore all the other ingredients too.

Onion

White onion is best to use in this recipe – red onions are a little sweeter and will muddy the colour of the finished soup. Shallots are a good substitute if you need or you can use the red onions if you don’t mind the differences.

Do be careful to not let the onions catch when you’re cooking them down. Adding the water will help with this but do keep an eye on them and turn the heat down if needed.

Flour

The flour is used as a slight thickening agent. It’s added near the beginning of the cooking to make a simple white sauce that the tomatoes cook in. Use a white flour and one without any raising agents so plain/all purpose.

Milk

You can use any milk you prefer in this recipe – I always have skimmed milk in the house. The higher fat content of the milk you use, the richer the finished soup will be.

Sugar

The little touch of sugar helps to offset the acidity in the tomatoes. But more importantly in this recipe, it adds the touch of sweetness that is in store bought cream of tomato soup – if you try it and are thinking about it, it’s actually quite sweet! Just stick with regular white sugar.

A Note About Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)

The Foodess recipe is staunch on adding a little bit of baking power to the tomatoes as they cook. That recipe uses canned tomatoes which are much more acidic then fresh cherry toms. I’ve tested my recipe with fresh tomatoes both with bicarb and without. And I just don’t think it makes any difference in this instance. So I’ve not included it in the recipe.

Vegetarian or Vegan Cream of Tomato Soup

The recipe is suitable for vegetarians as written. It is actually very simple to make vegan too.

As I’ve used vegetable oil rather than butter as the base of the recipe, the only ingredient that you need to substitute is the milk. You can use any plant based milk that you prefer but make sure that it’s as neutral in flavour as possible and must be unsweetened. Coconut milk would be an option but of course it will add a significant additional flavour to the soup.

Make Allergy Friendly Heinz Style Tomato Soup

This recipe is free from egg and nuts.

Gluten Free: Switch the plain flour in the recipe for a gluten free flour blend.

Dairy Free: As I’ve said in my notes above to make the recipe vegan, it is very easy to just switch the dairy milk for a plant based alternative.

Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

Equipment Notes for Cream of Tomato Soup

You don’t need anything more than basic kitchen equipment to make this soup with the exception of some kind of blender.

I prefer to use a really basic stick blender as I find that they create the least amount of washing up. But you can use a jug blender, nutri bullet type blender or even a regular food processor if that’s all you have.

You do also need to make sure you have a fairly fine sieve. You need to sieve out the tomato skins and seeds to make the lovely smooth soup.

A comprehensive list of the equipment used to make this recipe is included in the main recipe card below. Click on any item to see an example. There are no hard and fast rules so many items can be sensibly substituted to achieve the same results.

Get Ahead

This soup is fabulous and easy to make in advance and then reheat. It’ll keep perfectly in the fridge for a good 4 or 5 days – make sure to use an air tight container.

It will also freeze well – it is best to do this in single portions so they’re easy to defrost and reheat. I like to use strong freezer bags with a double seal (I use the IKEA ones).

Once filled, make sure they are really well sealed and then freeze them flat. They take up minimal room in the freezer this way and can even be stored on their ends like books on a shelf once fully frozen.

This freezing style also makes reheating really easy as you can break the frozen soup into chunks and add to a bowl and microwave or pan and gently reheat straight from frozen.

Easy Creamy Tomato Soup Tips

Keep an eye on the onions as they cook, you don’t want them to catch in the pan or you’ll add a bitter flavour to the soup. Add a little more water if you think they need it and/or turn the heat down a touch.

The soup will almost certainly split while the tomatoes are cooking – don’t worry about this at all, it will all come together when the soup is blended.

Talking about blending, this is a totally un-skippable part of this recipe. Because of the cooking method you won’t simply end up with a chunky soup, it’ll be unpleasant.

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?

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The Recipe

Easy Cream of Tomato Soup (Heinz Style Recipe)

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This Easy Cream of Tomato Soup recipe is an absolute game changer. Despite the name, this Heinz soup dupe is actually made with milk not cream and although the method seems a little unusual, trust the process because the outcome is simply divine!

5 from 5 votes

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KEEP SCREEN ON

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Servings 2

Author Chloe

Equipment

• Measuring Scales
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Jug – Large
• Saucepan – Medium
• Wooden Board
• Sharp Knife – Small
• Silicone Spatula
• Mixing Bowl – Medium
• Sieve
• Stick Blender or Jug Blender

Ingredients

 

MetricUSA Measurements

 

0.5x1x2x4x

• 100 g White Onions - 80g/¾cup prepared
• 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes - plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp Water
• 500 g Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Plain Flour (All Purpose)
• 500 ml Milk
• 2 tsp Sugar

Optional to Serve

• Double Cream (Heavy Cream)
• Fresh Chives - finely chopped

Instructions

 

• Peel and dice 100g Onion – it doesn't need to be very fine but also not very chunky. Around ½cm/¼" dice is perfect.

  Note: After taking off the top, bottom and skin, I ended up with around 80g/¾cup of diced onion.
  
• Add the onion to a medium saucepan along with 2 tsp Vegetable Oil, 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes and 2 tbsp Water.
  
• Fry over a medium then low heat until the water has fully evaporated and the onions have softened. This will take around 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  
• While the onions are cooking, prepare 500g Cherry Tomatoes by halving them. If they are especially large, cut them into quarters. Set aside for a moment.
  
• Add 2 tbsp Flour to the onions and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Keep the pan over a lowish heat while you do this.
  
• Add around a third of 500ml Milk to the pan.
  
• Turn the heat up to medium and keep stirring until all the milk and flour have combined and there are no lumps of flour.
  
• Add half the remaining milk and stir until fully incorporated again.
  
• Add the last of the milk and continue stirring and heating until you have a lightly simmering sauce.
  
• Add the prepared cherry tomatoes and 2 tsp Sugar.
  
• Bring the soup back to a simmer, add a lid to the pan and allow to cook for around 10 minutes – until the tomatoes and onions are fully soft.

  Note: if your tomatoes aren't especially ripe, this may take a few minutes more.
  
• Pour the soup into a heatproof bowl or jug or blender jug. Make sure it is large enough to not spill when you blend.
• Use a stick blender or regular blender and blitz until the soup is fairly smooth – this should only take a minute or so.
  
• Sieve the blended soup back into the saucepan.
  
• Use a spatula to push the soup through the soup, you should end up with just the tomato skins left in the sieve.
  
• Bring the soup back up to a light boil. If you want the soup to be thinner, add more milk a little at a time until you are happy. If you want it to be thicker, allow it to continue simmering until as thick as you like.
• Taste and add more salt if needed. Add a little at a time – you can always add more but you can't take it away.
  
• Serve hot with a swirl of cream and sprinkle of chopped fresh chives if you wish.
  

Nutrition (Approx)

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 1299mg | Potassium: 1059mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1752IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 383mg | Iron: 2mg

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