Creamy Tomato Basil Soup: A Budget-Friendly Freezer Meal the Whole Family Will Love
This creamy tomato basil soup is one of my favourite cheap homemade vegetable soup budget easy wins because it uses simple pantry staples and costs very little to make. It freezes perfectly, reheats beautifully, and tastes like you spent far more time on it than you actually did.
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Jul 27, 2026
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Method
Soften the aromatics
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and just starting to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and stock
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, whole peeled tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir everything together, breaking up the whole tomatoes with your spoon. Add the dried basil, sugar, salt and black pepper.
Simmer
Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This lets the flavours deepen and the soup thicken slightly.
Blend until smooth
Take the pot off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Use a stick blender to blend the soup directly in the pot until it is completely smooth and creamy. Alternatively, carefully transfer it in batches to a blender.
Stir in the cream and adjust seasoning
Return the pot to a very low heat. Stir in the heavy cream gently until fully combined. Taste the soup and adjust the salt, pepper or sugar to your liking. Heat through gently for 2 to 3 minutes but do not let it boil after adding the cream.
Serve or freeze
Ladle into bowls and top with a few fresh basil leaves and an extra drizzle of cream if you like. To freeze, let the soup cool completely then portion into freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Yes, absolutely. You will need about 1.5 kg of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped. Roasting them in the oven at 200C for 25 minutes first brings out a deeper flavour. Just keep in mind the soup may need a little longer to simmer down to the right consistency since fresh tomatoes have more water.
Is this soup suitable for kids?
Most kids take to it really well. Leave out any chilli and go easy on the black pepper. The creamy texture tends to win them over. Serving it with fun shaped croutons or a simple grilled cheese cut into fingers alongside it helps too.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, it adapts well. Soften the onion and garlic in a pan first, then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for six hours or high for three hours. Blend at the end and stir in the cream just before serving.
How do I stop the cream curdling when I add it?
The main trick is to take the soup off the heat or turn it right down before adding the cream. Stir it in gently rather than pouring it straight into a hard boil. Room temperature cream blends in more smoothly than cold cream straight from the fridge.
