Creamy (healthy) tomato soup is delicious and a staple during the fall. This healthier version is made with Kefir and is oh so perfect for the whole family.
Creamy tomato soup is a staple in our household, especially during the cozy fall season. This healthy version is made with Kefir which means it’s full of wonderful probiotics. It also means that you can enjoy a grilled cheese with it and not feel guilty. It’s a total win-win.
How to make creamy healthy tomato soup.
Homemade soup is so easy and also so incredibly delicious. Plus, it’s a super cost effective meal for the family. Here are some tips and tricks and tolls for making this particular soup.
- Dutch Oven. While you can definitely make tomato soup in an Instant Pot or a Slow Cooker, I recommend using a Dutch Oven. We have a Staub and love it, but they are a little pricey.
- Let It Simmer. Time is your friend. Let it simmer at least 60 minutes. Tomato soup only gets better with time so all those yummy flavors can blend together.
- Immersion Blender. You’ll want to have this handy tool to make your tomato soup nice and smooth. You’ll probably only use this tool a few times a year but you’ll be so happy when you have it.
All the tasty ingredients for creamy tomato soup.
Tomato soup has minimal ingredients but they combine so well that you don’t need a million to make this soup. Here are the best ingredients for our creamy (and healthy) tomato soup.
- Garlic + Onion. Cooking these two veggies in melted butter bring out some amazingly delicious flavors that add some complexity to the tomato soup.
- Dried Herbs. I didn’t use fresh basil in this tomato soup – but used dried instead! There isn’t any rhyme or reason, you could absolutely substitute fresh herbs for the dried herbs for an extra layer of flavor.
- Tomatoes. This one is obvious. But, you add two types of tomatoes in this recipe including tomato paste and canned whole tomatoes.
- Kefir. Creamy tomato soup needs well… cream. We opted for a healthier version this time around. See below for the details on Kefir!
Why add Kefir to tomato soup?
If you are anything like me, you might not be super familiar with the drinkable cultured milk. According to Lifeway, it’s “a tart and tangy cultured milk smoothie” that has loads of health benefits.
Kefir is a great substitute for the traditional cream or whole milk in tomato soup. It’s a little thinner than heavy cream but still gets the job done. Plus, Kefir has loads of probiotics that help your gut stay nice and healthy.
Obviously, we feel that our creamy tomato soup is pretty darn delicious. But, these variations are SO good if you are looking for something a little different.
- Vegan Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup. This vegan version uses whole roma tomatoes and includes paprika for an extra tasty recipe.
- Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons. Do I need to say anything else? Grilled cheese croutons. I mean, I just love everything that Damn Delicious makes.
- Creamy Parmesan Tomato and Spinach Tortellini Soup. Any type of soup that has pasta in it, is good in my book.
More soup recipes.
Soup is a staple during the fall. Here are a few other recipes to keep you cozy.
- Cheese Chicken Taco Bread Bowls. Okay, this isn’t technically a soup, but it’s cheesy and comforting and in a bread bowl and amazing.
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup. This is one of my favorite soups from Panera Bread and this copycat version is bake with ham instead of bacon. It’s delicious.
- Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a super old recipe on the blog and it’s super tasty with the inclusion of fresh jalapeños.
Creamy Tomato Soup
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon ground or dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 28oz cans whole tomatoes
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup Lifeway Plaine Kefir
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- Add butter to dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium heat and melt. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir to make sure onions/garlic don't burn.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the tomato paste. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the mixture has started to caramelize in spots – about 5-6 minutes. It will smell amazing but be careful not to burn it.
- Add tomatoes with juices, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 8 cups of water to the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon to make sure everything is combined. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Before it gets to a boil, reduce the heat to medium.
- Simmer uncovered for at least 60 minutes to let flavors combine and to reduce some of the liquid.
- Remove from heat and carefully use an immersion blender to break up the whole tomatoes and puree until smooth.
- Return to heat and stir in 1/3 cup of Kefir. Simmer for another 10-25 minutes, adding more Kefir as desired. Season with salt, pepper, and another 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Serve with homemade crispy croutons or grilled cheese and enjoy!
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