Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (with Parmesan Cheese)

Slow cooker creamy Tomato Basil Soup is a perfect dinner for a cold day. Learn how to prepare this delicious soup from start to finish with this creamy tomato basil soup recipe that’s easy to make with canned tomatoes, dried seasonings, chicken broth, parmesan cheese, and some fresh vegetables.

For more soup recipes that are always hit be sure and try my minestrone soup and this chicken tortilla vegetable soup. 

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

This recipe for slow cooker creamy tomato soup was one of my first recipes ever shared here on the site. I always loved tomato soup + grilled cheese growing up but it was always from the can (which is fine!). But once you make tomato soup from scratch there is no going back. 

I love this recipe because it uses canned diced tomatoes so it’s really simple to prepare. It also calls for dried seasonings which means no having to buy expensive fresh herbs. 

Plus, it cooks in the slow cooker all day which makes dinnertime a breeze. You won’t believe how thick and creamy, and full of flavor this tomato basil soup is. 

What You’ll Need

You need a few simple ingredients to make this soup recipe in the slow cooker. Be sure and read below for the full recipe card with ingredients and instructions. 

• Canned Diced Tomatoes – No need to drain this. We want all that extra tomato juice in the soup. 
• Celery – Thinly slice some celery. 
• Carrots – I like to use baby carrots to make it easy but regular carrots can be used as well. 
• Onion – Finely dice an onion. I suggest using a white or yellow onion for this recipe. 
• Dried Oregano & Basil
• Chicken Broth – For the best flavor be sure and use regular, full salt chicken broth and not the reduced-sodium chicken broth. We need that extra flavor because the long time in the slow cooker can mute lots of spices and flavors. 
• Butter + Flour – This is the base for the ‘roux’ which will thicken the soup and make it creamy.
• Salt + Pepper
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese – Use fresh parmesan cheese and not the grated parmesan cheese that comes in the can. 
• Half & Half Milk

How To Make Creamy Tomato Basil Soup In The Slow Cooker

You will need a large slow cooker to make this soup recipe. Spray the insert of the crock pot with cooking spray. 

• Add the diced tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, oregano, basil, and chicken broth into the slow cooker. Stir together and cover with the lid. Cook on LOW heat for 6 hours. Slightly longer is fine too if needed. 
• Blend up the soup with an immersion blender or you can transfer it to a blender and blend. Be sure and vent the lid slightly so it does not spurt out. Hot liquids contained in a blender can explode if not ventilated. 
• When soup is done cooking, prepare the roux by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour, salt, & pepper and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the hot soup from the slow cooker into the sauce pan and stir to combine. Pour this back into the slow cooker and stir. 
• Add the warmed half & half milk and parmesan cheese. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my most helpful tips to help you make this recipe in your own kitchen. 

• Use Half & Half : Don’t try and substitute this with a different milk that is lower in fat. You need the fat and thickness for this soup.
• Parmesan Cheese : Use freshly grated parmesan in this recipe. I buy a wedge of parmesan cheese and shred it myself. Do not use the grated parmesan cheese that comes in the can. It just won’t work in this recipe at all. Also, be sure and not to use the shredded parmesan cheese that comes in the bag. This has a coating on it to prevent it from clumping and therefore it won’t melt as nicely in the soup. It will leave a gritty texture. 

Variation & Substitution Ideas

There aren’t many ways to make this recipe different but there are a couple substitutions and changes you can make.

• Canned Tomatoes : Use a can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano (Italian style) to amp up the flavor a bit. 
• Chunky vs. Smooth : I prefer a smooth tomato soup so I always use an immersion blender on mine. But if you prefer a chunky soup then leave it as is. 
• More Seasoning : We love this recipe as is, but feel free to add some additional garlic (fresh or powder), or increase the amount of basil and oregano. You can also add some Italian seasoning if wanted. 

Serving Suggestions For Tomato Basil Soup

Our favorite way to eat this soup is with some grilled cheese sandwiches or these garlic & herb cheese bombs.

You can also make my easy garlic parmesan knots or these soft and buttery one hour rolls.  

Or try serving this soup inside a bread bowl. 

How To Store Leftovers

Leftovers store well, in an air-tight container, for up to 7 days in the fridge. 

You can either reheat a serving in the microwave or heat up the soup on the stove top. 

Can I Freeze Tomato Soup?

To freeze this soup leave out the half & half milk, and the parmesan cheese. When reheating the soup from frozen, add the half and half milk along with the shredded parmesan cheese. The milk and cheese will curdle once frozen and then thawed. 

Supplies Needed

Here are a few supplies that you will need to make this recipe for creamy tomato basil soup with parmesan cheese. These are an affiliate link, meaning that if you purchase, I will make a very small percentage from the sale. As always, I appreciate the support for the free recipes I post ? I only will recommend things that I personally own and love! Promise.

Immersion Blender – This is basically a handheld blender. Very easy to use and I actually find myself using it a lot. Mostly for soup recipes that I want creamy and smooth instead of chunky. I own this one and love it but if you don’t have one or don’t want to buy one, then just using a blender will work great too. 

Slow Cooker – I love these large slow cookers because they will fit just about any recipe in them. So they’re very versatile. I own several of these slow cookers and they are well used. 

Measuring Cups – Such a great set! Lots of ways to use it and measure with it and they’re made of this sturdy plastic material (so not glass) which means they won’t break.