Easy Low Sodium Tomato Soup with canned tomatoes is a simple, homemade tomato soup with only a few budget-friendly ingredients.
About Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes
Tomato soup is the perfect partner with grilled cheese, and this recipe using canned tomatoes costs less than $5.
Plus, it's vegan, allergy-friendly (gluten-free, dairy-free egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free), and low sodium.
Made of mostly pantry ingredients, you'll love this simple recipe that comes together quickly.
Keep this recipe in mind anytime you need a comforting side dish or soup that doesn't take a lot of effort, time, or money.
Ingredients
Oil: To sauté the onions and carrots, use whatever oil you prefer, like olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or coconut oil. Bacon grease and butter are other options.
Onion: Any onion works in this recipe - yellow, red, white, Vidalia, or other sweet onion. Pick your favorite or the one you have in the kitchen, and use it.
Carrot: To add a few extra nutrients plus a touch of sweetness, carrots are added to the soup. It also helps make this thicker and creamier when it's blended.
Garlic: Fresh garlic as well as garlic powder can be used in this soup recipe.
Canned Tomatoes: No-salt-added canned tomatoes are recommended so your soup isn't super high in sodium.
Liquid: For an easier option that's free, use water. If you have it, the soup will have more flavor if you use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
Sugar: A small amount of sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes, and it helps reduce any hint of metallic flavor from the canned tomatoes. Honey can be used in its place, yet it will no longer be vegan.
If needed, you can skip the sugar. However, I think it really rounds out the soup, and I do not recommend omitting it.
Seasoning: Season your soup with salt and cayenne pepper. Feel free to add other seasonings. I find it best to add them after the soup has blended together so you get an accurate idea of how it will taste.
To keep this a low sodium tomato soup, start with less salt and increase as needed.
Recipe Cost
- Olive oil 1 tablespoon: $0.24
- Onion 1 large: $0.68
- Carrots 2 medium: $0.40
- Garlic 1 clove: $0.06
- Canned tomatoes 2 (15-ounce) cans: $2.12
- Water 4 cups: $0
- Sugar ½ teaspoon: $0.01
- Cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon: $0.02
- Salt ⅛ teaspoon: $0.01
TOTAL COST: $3.48 or $0.87/serving (Based on San Diego grocery stores 2023)
Note that this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.
How to Make Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes
Time needed: 45 minutes
Making tomato soup with canned tomatoes is easy. Here's how.
- Sauté onions and carrots.
- Cook until lightly browned.
- Add garlic, tomatoes + juices, water, and spices.
- Simmer.
- Blend.
- Taste and add any seasoning if needed.
Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
*While it's a small amount, the sugar really brings out the right flavors in the soup, and I highly suggest including it.
Variations
Ingredient Options
Oil: Olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or coconut oil are all great oil options. Bacon grease and butter can also be used but will make the soup no longer vegan (unless you use vegan butter).
Sugar: Honey can be used in place of granulated sugar. Or omit it entirely if needed.
Flavor Substitutions
There aren't really any ingredients to substitute to change the flavor. However, you can add any fresh or dried herb or spice to enhance the flavor of your soup.
Basil, rosemary, oregano, and/or thyme are all great choices.
Additionally, you can make a southwestern-inspired tomato soup by adding chili powder and cumin.
Alternative Prep & Cooking
If you don't have an immersion blender, let the soup cool for at least 15 minutes. Then, transfer to a blender to blend.
Make sure not to completely cover the hot soup. Vent the blender top and cover with a towel while blending to prevent the soup from exploding.
How to Make Allergy-Friendly
This tomato soup with canned tomatoes is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. Plus, it's vegan and vegetarian.
How to Fix a Mistake
Lacking flavor: Add a tablespoon of red wine or red wine vinegar.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Soup is almost always tastier when it has time to cook a little longer. Simply make the soup as directed and reheat it when ready to enjoy.
Storage Suggestions
Store the homemade tomato soup from canned tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
To reheat:
- In the microwave: Place on a microwave-safe plate, and heat for 60 seconds at 100% power. Stir and microwave for another 30-45 seconds until warm.
- On the stovetop: In a pot over medium heat, pour in the soup and cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, do not drain canned tomatoes for soup. Add the tomatoes along with their juices to the soup.
It's recommended that you use no-salt-added canned tomatoes to soup to keep the sodium from being extra high in your soup.
It depends on your preference. Water works fine, but broth is great for imparting flavor to tomato soup.
Milk or cream will make your soup richer and creamier. However, be careful not to boil your soup for too long or the milk might curdle.
Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can add more flavor to your soup without increasing the sodium.
Another option is to add about ¼ cup of red wine and cook an extra 5-10 minutes.
Add a pinch of sugar to the soup if you haven't already. Also, adding something acidic like red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice can improve the taste of tomato soup.
Nutrition Benefits
With a combo of onions, carrots, garlic, and tomatoes, you get an array of nutrients and antioxidants.
Each serving provides 4 grams of fiber, 60% RDA of Vitamin A, 33% RDA of Vitamin C, 16% RDA of potassium, 11% RDA of iron, and 10% RDA of calcium.
Plus, unlike many soups, this tomato soup is lower in sodium.
Low Sodium Tomato Soup
You can easily make this a low sodium tomato soup.
First, be sure you use no-salt-added diced tomatoes.
Second, use water or no-salt-added broth. You can make your own low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth, making sure not to add salt or soy sauce.
Finally, change the amount of salt you add to this soup. Here is a list of sodium content per serving based on how much salt you add:
- ½ teaspoon salt = 335 mg sodium per serving (15% Daily Value)
- ¼ teaspoon salt = 180 mg sodium per serving (8% DV)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt = 107 mg sodium per serving (5% DV)
- no salt = 35 mg sodium per serving (2% DV)
What to Serve with Homemade Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes
This is an excellent side dish for a grilled cheese, chicken quesadilla, or hummus egg sandwich.
If you want a fun idea, serve with a Pimento Cheese Grilled Cheese that's cut into little squares to make grilled cheese croutons (pictured below).
Final thoughts:
The simplicity of this recipe makes it a reliable side dish or soup to serve for extra veggies.
Plus, it's a delicious low sodium tomato soup that pretty much everyone can enjoy regardless of dietary preferences or restrictions.
And the entire recipe costs less than $5!
MORE CANNED TOMATO RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
Easy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion about 2 cups diced
- 2 medium carrots about 1 cup diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes undrained
- 4 cups water or broth
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and carrots, and saute for about 5-7 minutes until lightly golden.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are very tender.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend to your desired consistency.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- ½ teaspoon salt = 335 mg sodium per serving (15% Daily Value)
- ¼ teaspoon salt = 180 mg sodium per serving (8% DV)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt = 107 mg sodium per serving (5% DV)
- no salt = 35 mg sodium per serving (2% DV)
What to Use in This Recipe
Meme
This post was originally published on April 8, 2014. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
Candace @ Cabot
What a perfect recipe for Grilled Cheese Month! There's nothing like the classic combination of Tomato Soup and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
Meme
Thanks! I think so too 🙂