Canning tomato soup is one of the best ways to preserve summer’s harvest in a comforting, ready-to-heat meal you’ll reach for all year long. This homemade canned tomato soup is rich, smooth, and deeply flavorful... nothing like the bland store-bought version.
Tomato season came in swinging this year, and my counters have been covered in baskets of vine-ripened red beauties ever since.
I've put up salsa, sauce, crushed tomatoes, and even chutney... but nothing quite hits like a jar of homemade tomato soup on a cold day when you just need something easy, warm, and good.
Forget the tinny taste of the store-bought stuff. This version is rich, smooth, and savory, with just enough sweetness to mellow the acidity. It’s safe for pressure canning, doesn’t use any dairy or thickeners (until serving), and makes the best grilled cheese companion you’ll ever meet.
Why This Tomato Soup Is Safe to Can
A few quick canning rules to follow here:
No dairy before canning. Add cream or butter only after you open the jar.
Use garlic packed in water, not oil.
Skip flour or thickeners. It’s not safe for pressure canning. Just cook it down well, or thicken it when reheating.
Stick with the tested ingredient ratios. You can adjust salt, sugar, and dried herbs for flavor. Fresh basil is optional (but encouraged).
Pressure can only. This recipe is not safe for water bath canning, even with acid.
Ingredients for Canning Tomato Soup
Fresh ripe tomatoes. Plum tomatoes cook down faster, but any kind will work.
Onions & garlic. Yellow onion & garlic packed in water or fresh cloves.
Chicken broth. You can sub veggie broth.
Fresh basil & dried oregano.
Brown sugar, salt, and pepper. These are all optional, but they balance the soup beautifully.
How to Make and Can Tomato Soup
Prep the tomatoes. Peel, core, and quarter. Set aside.
Sauté aromatics. Cook onion in a little oil until softened, then add garlic, salt, and pepper. Let everything cook down in a splash of broth.
Simmer. Add tomatoes, remaining broth, herbs, and brown sugar. Simmer until tender.
Blend. Use an immersion blender or blend in batches until smooth.
Cook down. Let it reduce until thick and flavorful (about an hour).
Prep jars & canner. Wash jars, warm everything up, and get your pressure canner going.
Ladle and can. Fill hot jars with hot soup, leaving 1” headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids, and process:
- Pints: 50 minutes
- Quarts: 60 minutes
- Weighted gauge: 10 lb under 1,000 ft / 15 lb over
- Dial gauge: adjust per your altitude
Cool & store. Let jars cool 12–24 hours. Check seals. Store for up to 18 months.
How to Serve Home-Canned Tomato Soup
Heat and eat it straight, or stir in:
- A splash of cream
- A pat of butter
- A handful of shredded cheddar or parmesan
- Fresh basil or croutons
This is our go-to for busy days, cozy fall lunches, and “oops I forgot to make dinner” nights. It also makes a beautiful gift.
🫙 You don’t need more opinions. You need a starting point.
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If you’ve been overthinking canning, this is your sign to stop and start.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Canned Tomato Soup (Pressure Canning Recipe)
This rich and flavorful homemade tomato soup is perfect for pressure canning. Packed with fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, and herbs, no dairy or thickeners, just pure comfort ready to heat and serve all year long.
Ingredients
- 8 lbs Fresh Tomatoes, Peeled, Cored, and Quartered
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Cups Yellow Onion, Diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 5 Cups Chicken Stock, Divided
- ½ Cup Fresh Basil, tightly packed
- 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, more to taste
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Prep tomatoes: Peel, core, and quarter the tomatoes. Set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add diced onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook 5 more minutes.
- Reduce with broth: Uncover and add 1 cup of chicken broth. Let simmer until broth evaporates, stirring to prevent scorching.
- Add remaining ingredients: Stir in tomatoes, remaining broth, basil, oregano, and brown sugar.
- Blend: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a traditional blender.
- Simmer: Cook the soup over low heat for 1 hour, or until it reaches a thick, spoon-coating consistency. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Prepare jars and canner: Wash jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water. Place jars in pressure canner with 2–3 inches of hot water and preheat to 180°F.
- Fill jars: Ladle hot soup into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids, and finger-tighten bands.
- Process: Adjust water level in canner. Lock lid and vent steam for 10 minutes. Process at 10 PSI (weighted gauge) or per your altitude and gauge type... 50 minutes for pints, 60 minutes for quarts.
- Cool & store: Let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait 2 minutes before removing the weight. After 10 minutes, remove jars to a towel-lined surface. Cool 12–24 hours before checking seals. Store in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1 CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 108Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 469mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed to be accurate. I’m not a nutritionist... just a home cook sharing what works in my kitchen. Please use your preferred calculator if you need exact values for dietary needs or medical conditions.
Tess Hamilton says
I’m wondering approximately how much this makes so that I have the proper amount of canning jars on hand. I’m new to canning and just trying to start.
Danielle McCoy says
As stated at the top of the recipe card, this recipe will make approximately 7 pints :).
Bev Guessford says
I love this recipe! First time of trying it. Will definitely make it again. Only thing I did different was strain the soup to take out the skins and seeds. It great recipe!
Danielle McCoy says
So glad you liked it!
Denise Jones says
I made this recipe according to the directions. While the soup itself had a great tast, I couldn't get past the seeds in it. That totally ruins it for me. If I decide to make this recipe again , I will cut out seeds.
Danielle McCoy says
Using paste tomatoes helps in reducing, almost eliminating by the time you use the immersion blender, the seeds within the soup.
Colleen says
Can I use chicken broth rather than chicken stock?
Danielle McCoy says
Yes, you can use chicken broth in place of the chicken stock!
Colleen says
Sorry, foolish question. Thank you for humoring me.
Danielle McCoy says
It isn't foolish at all!
Lauri McKnight says
I want to try this recipe, but I already have my tomatoes pureed. Can you tell me how much puree to use? Thanks!
Danielle McCoy says
I'd use 11 cups give or take.
Dawn says
I’m ready to give this a try but I don’t have a pressure canner. I want to use a traditional water bath process. From my research, I should use a little citric acid for this process. Do you agree?
Danielle McCoy says
This recipe cannot be canned in a water bath canner as it is not acidic enough even with the use of citric acid.
anne says
why is'nt it safe to can tomato soup if i add a little 10% cream?
Danielle McCoy says
The high temperatures needed to safely can dairy-based soups cannot be achieved with standard home canning equipment, even in a pressure canner. For safety, it's best to can the tomato soup without the cream and then add it when you're ready to serve the soup.
anne says
how long will this soup last in the fridge if i added 1/4 cup of 10% cream to a large soup pot
Danielle McCoy says
If you’ve added cream to your tomato soup, it will typically last 3-4 days in the fridge. Dairy can cause the soup to spoil more quickly than if it were just tomatoes and broth. Be sure to store the soup in an airtight container and refrigerate it promptly to keep it fresh for as long as possible. If you need to store it longer, you can freeze the soup, though keep in mind that the texture may change slightly due to the cream.
Holly says
I used a hand crank tomato juicer
Tomato juice and good stuff out one end and skin and seeds out the other end
Danielle McCoy says
Awesome!!
Jinger Duryea says
I’ve canned a few tomatoes in my life, but most of my recipes call for some lemon juice in each jar. I’m glad this recipe doesn’t. Is it because you use the pressure canner that makes it possible to eliminate this step?
Danielle McCoy says
Yes, you’re exactly right! The reason this recipe doesn’t require lemon juice is because it’s pressure canned. Tomato soup with added broth needs to be pressure canned due to the lower acidity of the broth and other ingredients. Normally, lemon juice or another acid is added to water-bath canned tomatoes to ensure they’re acidic enough to prevent bacterial growth, particularly botulism. However, pressure canning reaches higher temperatures, making it safe to can lower-acid foods without the need for added acidity, which is why you can skip the lemon juice in this case.
Amy Bender says
I'm going to try this recipe, but have a question. Is the process time OK for dialed-gauge canner, or is it intended for a weighted-gauge at 60 minutes (for quarts)?
Elle says
The time when pressure canning is always the same, it's the pressure that changes. The pressure will depend on your altitude and is noted in the notes of the recipe. I hope that helps!