Rao's Tomato Soup is a rich, creamy tomato soup with the savory flavor of Rao's marinara sauce. Made with chicken broth, tomatoes, aromatic herbs, spices, and Parmesan cheese, it’s a quick and easy recipe with simple ingredients—perfect for a cozy winter day.
For more cozy tomato soups, be sure to try Red Pepper Gouda Soup and Tomato Pastina next!
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Let’s be honest—when it comes to jarred marinara, Rao’s is the go-to. With a simple ingredient list like olive oil, onions, basil, oregano, and Italian tomatoes, it somehow surpasses every other sauce on the shelf. It’s even the only store-bought marinara Ina Garten swears by. While it can be a bit of a splurge, I always grab it when Costco stocks up.
Turns out, this marinara sauce isn’t just for pasta. Did you know you can make tomato soup with marinara sauce?
🍅Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Onions and garlic. Even though they're already in the sauce, sauteeing fresh onions and garlic helps give the jarred sauce and tomatoes more homemade flavor.
- Seasonings. Paprika is a bit of a secret ingredient that brightens up any tomato soup recipe. I also added thyme, an herb that isn't always in tomato soup but should be because it's herby and bright and lemony.
- Broth. You can use chicken or vegetable broth. If you use stock instead of broth, know that it has less sodium and may be unseasoned, so you may need to adjust your seasonings.
- Brown sugar. Another secret ingredient! A little bit of sugar helps smooth out the acidic flavors, and the extra boost of molasses just adds even more rich flavor.
- Rao's marinara sauce. Rao's sauce serves double duty in this recipe. One cup of it gets reduced down to deepen the tomato flavor and thicken the soup, like tomato paste, and the rest goes into the tomato broth. Of course, you could technically use any kind of marinara, but ...
🥣How to Make Rao's Tomato Soup
Step 1: Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add 1 cup marinara and the seasonings and simmer over medium heat until thickened.
Step 2: Pour in the rest of the marinara, broth, and tomatoes, and add the brown sugar and a little black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the soup from the heat. For smooth soup, blend with an immersion blender or blend it in batches in a regular blender to your desired consistency. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Top with more Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, or a swirl of pesto, and serve with crusty bread or a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
✅Top Tips
- Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning accordingly. This tomato soup has tons of flavor, but if it seems a little flat, sometimes all it needs is salt. Or maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.
- I use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot, but a high-speed blender works too. Just be cautious with hot liquids in a blender—steam can build up and push the lid off. Check out this guide for safe blending tips!
🎁Storage
- Store leftover tomato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze cooled soup in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, or on the stovetop over low heat, stirring until warmed through.
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📖 Recipe
Rao's Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz. Rao's marinara sauce or any kind of marinara
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- black pepper
- ½ cup cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in Dutch oven or large pot over medium to medium-high heat. Saute onions in butter until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add one cup marinara sauce, paprika, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the marinara, can of tomatoes, broth, and brown sugar, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. For a velvety smooth soup, blend with immersion blender or in batches in a blender to your desired consistency. Stir in the cream and Parmesan.
Notes
- Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning accordingly. This tomato soup has tons of flavor, but if it seems a little flat, sometimes all it needs is salt. Or maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.
- For rustic texture, skip the step of blending the soup.
- I use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot, but a high-speed blender works too. Just be cautious with hot liquids in a blender—steam can build up and push the lid off. Check out this guide for safe blending tips!
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