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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe

    Published: Aug 23, 2022 · Modified: Jun 7, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    • 200shares

    If you have a few extra ripe tomatoes and are wondering what to do with them, make tomato soup. It's quick and easy, and the result will pleasantly surprise you. Fresh tomatoes and proper preparation will give the soup the desired taste; just follow the instructions in my recipe!

    Fresh tomato soup served in a bowl with cheesetoast.

    ➜ About the recipe

    This soup calls for only a few simple, fresh ingredients. The main of them is fresh red garden tomatoes, peeled and cut into pieces.

    The soup is based on fried onions and garlic. Add chopped tomatoes, pour in the vegetable stock, and season with a bay leaf, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Finally, blend the soup and enjoy it while it is still warm.

    The recipe comes from the Czech Republic, where tomato soup is called the term "rajčatová polévka".

    MY TIP: If you are a soup lover, try the famous Czech garlic soup, known as cesnecka!

    ➜ Ingredients

    Fresh tomato soup ingredients inclusive captions.

    For homemade tomato soup, you need:

    • Fresh tomatoes; ripe and firm
    • Oil; sunflower or rapeseed, or olive oil (the latter is widely used in Italian tomato soups)
    • Yellow onion; sautéed in oil, forms the basis for the luxurious flavor of the soup
    • Fresh garlic; cloves
    • Vegetable broth; I use a natural broth with no added chemical flavoring agents. You can grab chicken broth for even more flavor, but I think the soup tastes rich enough with quality vegetable broth.
    • Seasonings: bay leaf, freshly ground black pepper, and salt

    For garnishing when serving:

    • Fresh basil leaves; or basil pesto - I just had some open at home, so I used it
    • Sour cream; about a tablespoon per bowl, or thicker white yogurt – for a creamy texture
    • Cheese cubes; for example, Camembert (cheese is optional)

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions with photos

    STEP 1: First, peel the tomato skins. Wash them, and remove the green stems. Cut them shallowly crosswise with a knife. Put them in boiling water and let them cook for a minute under the lid, but no longer.

    Preparing red tomatoes for peeling.
    Tomatoes in a pot, scalded with hot water.

    Then drain the water and pour ice-cold water over the tomatoes to cool them and stop the cooking process. Remove the skin with a knife and cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Put them aside in a bowl.

    Peeling tomatoes with a knife.
    Peeled and chopped tomatoes in a bowl.

    STEP 2: Peel the onion and chop it finely. Peel the garlic and chop the cloves into slices. In a soup pot (I use my favorite cast iron Dutch oven), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the onion in the oil until golden brown, add the garlic towards the end, and let its aroma develop.

    Onion sauteed with garlic in a blue pot.

    TIP: If you fried the garlic in oil from the beginning, it would burn and turn bitter.

    STEP 3: Add the bay leaf and chopped peeled tomatoes to the onion base. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on the stove for 15 minutes without a lid to evaporate some of the liquid.

    Salting chopped tomatoes in a pot.

    STEP 4: Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let it bubble for another 20 minutes.

    Making tomato soup with broth, in a blue pot.

    STEP 5: Remove the bay leaf from the tomato soup and puree it using an immersion stick blender. If necessary, season with salt or pepper.

    Tomato soup blended with immersion stick blender.

    Extra tip: If you feel the soup is tart for your taste, add a pinch of sugar to a bowl of soup and stir.

    ➜ Serving

    Tomato soup tastes best when served fresh and warm. Garnish with a spoonful of sour cream or white yogurt in the bowl. You can garnish it with green leaves of fresh basil - the combination of basil and tomatoes is very popular in Italy!

    TIP: Instead of basil, add a teaspoon or two of basil pesto to the soup.

    Tomato soup pairs well with crusty bread or toast. I topped my toast with grilled cheese. You may also cut the cheese into small pieces and add them to the hot soup; they will melt when it's ready to serve.

    Tomato soup served in a bowl with two pieces of cheese toast.

    ➜ How to store tomato soup

    If you have any soup left over, let it cool completely and store it in the fridge. It will keep for 4-5 days.

    ➜ Do I have to peel the tomatoes first?

    The short answer is yes. The tough skin of the tomatoes can spoil the good feeling of the soup. However, because this tomato soup is blended at the end, you can skip peeling the tomatoes if you want to save time.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • Use ripe tomatoes for the soup. Orange, unripe tomatoes are harder to peel. In addition, they do not provide the typical full summer flavor of red tomatoes.
    • Tomatoes will thicken the soup naturally, turning it into a slightly dense cream. The soup is gluten-free, suitable even for celiacs with food allergies to gluten.
    • The consistency of the soup remains the same the next day, i.e., it does not thicken as if it were thickened with roux or flour.

    More tasty soups:

    • Czech zelnacka sauerkraut soup
    • Easy goulash soup
    • Split pea soup with bacon
    • Tomato and cheese salad

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Fresh tomato soup served with cheese toast.

    Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    If you have extra ripe tomatoes, make tomato soup. It is quick, easy, and delicious. Follow my recipe for the perfect taste!
    5 from 3 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
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    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 35 minutes mins
    Total Time: 50 minutes mins
    Servings: 4

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 6 medium tomatoes fresh and ripe
    • 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil (or canola)
    • 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Topping (optional):

    • 4 teaspoons sour cream
    • 2 teaspoons basil pesto (or green basil leaves, chopped)

    Instructions 

    • First, peel the tomato skins. Wash 6 medium tomatoes and remove the green stems. Make shallow crosswise cuts with a knife. Place them in boiling water for one minute, then drain and immediately cool with ice-cold water. Peel the skins off with a knife and cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Set them aside in a bowl.
    • Peel and finely chop 1 medium onion. Peel 2 cloves garlic and slice them. In a soup pot (I use my favorite cast iron Dutch oven), heat 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Fry the onion until golden brown, then add the garlic for a few seconds to let its aroma develop.
    • Add 1 bay leaf and tomatoes to the onion base. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
    • Pour in 2 cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.
    • Remove the bay leaf from the tomato soup and puree it using an immersion blender. If necessary, adjust the seasoning with salt or/and pepper.

    Notes

    • SERVING: This tomato soup tastes best when served fresh and warm. Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream or plain yogurt.
    • Extra tip: If the soup tastes too tart, add a pinch of sugar to each bowl and stir.
    • You can garnish the soup with fresh basil leaves. Optionally, add a teaspoon or two of basil pesto for extra flavor.
    • Tomato soup pairs perfectly with crusty bread or toast. I like to top my toast with grilled cheese. Alternatively, you can cut the cheese into small pieces and add them to the hot soup; they'll melt beautifully. This comforting combination of tomato soup and melted cheese makes for a delightful, cozy meal.
    • STORAGE: If you have any soup left over, let it cool completely and store it in the fridge. It will keep for 4-5 days.
    • Use ripe tomatoes for the soup. Orange, unripe tomatoes are harder to peel and do not provide the rich, full summer flavor that red tomatoes do.
    • Tomatoes naturally thicken the soup, giving it a slightly dense, creamy texture. This soup is gluten-free and suitable for those with celiac disease or gluten allergies.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1053mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Servings: 4
    Calories pro serving: 81
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Tomato Recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
    • 200shares

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    Comments

    1. Elaine says

      August 31, 2022 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely superb tasting Tomato soup. So incredibly simple but the flavour is delicious. I have never made tomato soup before but I shall be making this one again and again.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        September 01, 2022 at 2:27 am

        Thank you, Elaine, for your nice comment! In our family, we also enjoy this tomato soup, and this year my greenhouse produced an abundance of tomatoes, so I have something to cook with 🙂

        Reply
    2. Melody Smith says

      July 10, 2024 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      Incredible! Super easy recipe to follow and it was filled with so much flavor! Thank you for sharing your super delicious recipes! This will be a regular repeat soup for my family!

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        July 14, 2024 at 3:35 pm

        Dear Melody, thank you for your kind words and feedback! Happy to hear the soup was a success!
        Greetings from the Czech Republic.

        Reply
    3. Bindu Nelson says

      June 28, 2025 at 2:57 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this delicious and simple recipe. I made this a few times and have enjoyed it very much.

      Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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