Healthy Tomato Basil Soup

Written by
Fiona Haynes
Freelance writer and copy editor Fiona Haynes has published more than 100 published recipes focused on low-fat and healthy eating.
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Fiona Haynes
Updated 12/13/20
Healthy Tomato Basil Soup, bowl of tomato soup with toast

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
78 Calories
4g Fat
9g Carbs
3g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 78
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 806mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 21mg 103%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 471mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A soup that is low in calories doesn't have to be bland, watered down, or lacking in flavor. There are many ways of making healthy dishes without adding unnecessary amounts of salt and fat. Our easy and tasty recipe for tomato basil soup has all the character of its higher-fat cousins. Best of all, it can be on the table after just 25 minutes of preparation and cooking. Besides, by using canned diced tomatoes you're saving a lot of prep time and can have this soup even when the plump ripe summer tomatoes are nowhere to be seen in the supermarkets.

Tomatoes have plenty of nutritional value, such as high concentrations of the antioxidant lycopene, a component associated with a lower risk of heart disease. This sweet and tangy fruit also offers great levels of beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and fiber.

This is a perfect soup for all seasons, and in the summer, you can actually use fresh chopped tomatoes and basil, which will add a little but not a lot of time to your prep. Make the soup as chunky or as smooth as you'd like. Use it as a light appetizer, or add a low-calorie panini or sandwich to make it a lunch. By replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth, this is a vegetarian and vegan-friendly soup. Check the labels of the broth to ensure there are no wheat-based thickeners and make this a gluten-free option as well.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)

  • 1 stalk celery (finely chopped)

  • 1 clove garlic (minced)

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped (chopped)

  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves (fresh) 

  • 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)

  • 2 cups chicken broth (non-fat and low-sodium, or vegetable broth)

  • Garnish:

    3 stalks celery

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Healthy Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients, tomatoes, basil, stock, olive oil, garlic, celery, thyme

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  2. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

    saucepan with oil on a burner

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  3. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and gently sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Don't allow the garlic to brown.

    celery, onion, garlic in a sauce pan, with a wooden spoon

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  4. Add the basil, thyme, tomatoes, and broth of choice. Bring to a boil.

    tomatoes, basil and thyme in a saucepan

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  5. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.

    tomato sauce in a saucepan

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  6. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Alternatively, you can carefully purée the soup in batches in a food processor or blender— always process warm rather than hot soups to avoid accidents.

    immersion blender in a saucepan of tomato sauce

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  7. Purée the soup lightly if you like a chunky consistency. Otherwise, purée it fully for a velvety texture.

    blended tomato sauce in a saucepan with a wooden spoon

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  8. Serve it hot (or chill it for a summer soup) and accompany it with a celery stalk stirrer.

    Healthy Tomato Basil Soup and a metal spoon in a bowl

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  9. Enjoy!

For a Creamier and Still Low-Fat Version

If you want to add creaminess and still keep it low fat, use canned beans to thicken the soup. Simply add 1 can of drained cannellini or navy beans at the same time you add the tomato and finish cooking the soup according to the directions. Process the soup to your preferred texture and taste for salt before serving.

Beans are an excellent source of protein and because they're packed with fiber help to keep hunger at bay. Just 1/2 cup of canned-in-water navy beans has 7.5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

How to Store Tomato Soup

The key to preserving your soup for up to 3 days is to refrigerate it continuously. That means don't pop the soup in and out of the fridge, leaving it on the counter while you reheat some and put back what you're not using. The best storage for this soup is to portion it in individual servings and just bring out of the fridge what you're using.

If you're making bigger batches and want to freeze some for later use, skip the basil, cool the soup off, portion it, freeze it, and when ready to use, reheat at medium temperature on the stove, and add the chopped fresh basil when serving.

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Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Costa-Rodrigues J, Pinho O, Monteiro PRR. Can lycopene be considered an effective protection against cardiovascular disease? Food Chem. 2018;245:1148-1153. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.11.055

  2. Tomatoes, Raw. FoodData Central. United States Department of Agriculture.

  3. Navy Beans, Canned. FoodData Central. United States Department of Agriculture.