Gluten Free Tomato Soup with Cheddar

Name: Gluten Free Tomato Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups tomatoes (heirloom or regular tomatoes); 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium); 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 cup water; 1 clove garlic (minced); 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded); 2 tablespoons fresh basil

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This gluten free tomato soup with cheddar is a delicious hot soup even your pickiest eater will love! It is thick and creamy, and full of sweet tomato and basil flavors! This delicious homemade soup is made with simple ingredients and cooks in under 30 minutes.

Creamy and hot, this is the perfect soup to enjoy with a grilled cheese sandwich. This gluten free tomato soup recipe is so much better than canned tomato soup. It is velvety smooth with lots of melty cheese in every spoonful!

My kids love to take this soup to school in a thermos with their lunch on cold days. It adds some warm comfort to lunch!

I also include dairy-free options if you need this to be a dairy-free tomato soup! If you love soup as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious gluten free soup recipes.

four large heirloom tomatoes on a wooden table

Last week I bought a case of heirloom tomatoes at our local farmer's market and I had a few left to use so I decided to make soup! Soup does double duty in our house. I love to serve it with grilled cheese for dinner, and it works perfectly in a thermos to take for lunch! It is the perfect comfort food!

I love using fresh tomatoes when they are in season because they are sweet and delicious. Summer is the best time for fresh heirloom tomatoes. Each year we had a garden and grew our own tomatoes. California is stuck in a horrible drought cycle and we let our garden go to help conserve water. Hopefully, we can restart it again in the spring!

Another fresh item in this soup is basil. Basil can be grown year-round and it takes this tomato soup to a whole new level of yumminess! I love to grow fresh herbs in my kitchen window! I like to pick up a fresh plant every few months from our grocery store so I always have fresh basil on-hand for my recipes like this cream of tomato soup.

Ingredient Notes:

Heirloom tomatoes - If you can't find heirloom tomatoes, you can use regular tomatoes.
Chicken or vegetable broth - I recommend low sodium broth.
Heavy cream - You can also use the new dairy-free heavy cream by Silk.
Garlic cloves - I recommend using fresh garlic, but jarred minced garlic will work.
Onion powder - As with any spice, be sure to check the label to ensure your spices are gluten free.
Cheddar cheese - I use a lot of cheese in this soup for flavor. You can use sharp or mild cheddar cheese.
Fresh basil - Fresh is my favorite to use, but dried will work if you can't find fresh basil.
Oil - Use either avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe Step by Step Directions:

chopped heirloom tomatoes on a cutting board.

Step 1: Wash the tomatoes and remove the green stem. Cut up the tomatoes on a cutting board.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and garlic to a high-speed blender, food processor, or Vitamix. Pulse the tomatoes for 15 seconds until they are a smooth consistency. If you are using a Vitamix, you can put the whole tomatoes in without the stems.

Step 3: Pour the mixture into a large pot. Add the chicken stock, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Add the cheese and cream and stir with a wire whisk to mix them in. The cheese will melt into the soup making this creamy soup full of flavor. Cook on low heat for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Serve hot. Top with shredded fresh basil and popcorn or these homemade Gluten Free Croutons.

a thermos filled with gluten free tomato soup next to a lunch box.

As I mentioned earlier, my kids love having this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches to dip in. The soup gets even better the next day as flavors mesh together!

Variations:

If you are like me, sometimes you like to change things up. Here are a few substitutions and ideas for this creamy gluten free tomato soup:

Try roasting your fresh tomatoes with olive oil and garlic on a large baking sheet in the oven. Roast on 300 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until they are really soft.
Instead of fresh basil, try fresh thyme for a new flavor.
If you want, feel free to change up the cheese and use a smokey gouda.
Add some sautéd spinach cooked with olive oil to add some healthy greens. Make sure you chop it up a little before adding to the soup.
If you would like a creamy garnish, top with a little sour cream or yogurt.

Storage:

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this soup for up to 4 months. I love to use Souper Cubes because you can freeze the soup in single-serving blocks. Once the soup is frozen, move it to a large zipper bag.

You can reheat this gluten free tomato soup in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave oven.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Can you make this soup with canned tomatoes?

You can make this soup with canned tomatoes, but you will lose some of the sweetness you get from ripe heirloom tomatoes.

Can you make this soup dairy-free?

You can make this soup dairy-free by using Silk brand dairy free cream or coconut cream.

Do you need to peel tomatoes to make tomato soup?

You do not need to peel the tomatoes to make tomato soup. The peels will break into tiny bits in the blender or Vitamix.

How do you make tomato soup thicker?

If you want to make your tomato soup a little thicker, you can thicken it with tomato paste. I would add 2 tablespoons to the tomato mixture in the blender.

This post was updated from an old August 2016 post with better photos and more detailed instructions. While you are visiting, check out my gluten free tomato soup web story too!

If you love the recipes you find on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free gluten free lemon dessert e-cookbook!)

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