Description
Creamy, comforting, and packed with flavor, this Panera Bread Tomato Soup copycat recipe is the ultimate cozy bowl. It’s a quick dinner, an easy lunch, or a delicious way to use pantry ingredients. With rich tomato flavor, velvety texture, and savory aromatics, it’s one of the best dinner ideas for soup lovers. Whether you’re meal prepping or craving a healthy snack, this easy recipe delivers everything you want from classic tomato soup—right from your own kitchen.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano-style)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
Optional: grated parmesan or croutons for garnish
Instructions
1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute to coat onions and garlic.
4. Pour in crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, then stir to combine.
5. Add sugar, salt, black pepper, and dried basil. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
6. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (or transfer to a blender in batches).
7. Reduce heat and stir in the heavy cream. Let it heat through for 2–3 minutes.
8. Serve hot, garnished with parmesan or croutons if desired.
Notes
For extra depth of flavor, roast fresh tomatoes and use them in place of canned.
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a subtle spicy kick.
Swap in coconut cream to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: panera tomato soup, creamy tomato soup, vegetarian soup, easy soup, comfort food