What Is Soup, cream of tomato and How Can I Use It?
Soup, cream of tomato is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 11 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- Condensed canned soup of tomato softened with dairy, used as a tomato binder.
- Not the same as plain tomato soup; it is rounder and reads as a sauce.
- The base for porcupine meatballs, stuffed peppers, and baked pasta dishes.
- Keep it at a gentle simmer; boiling tomato hard with milk can curdle it.
- A pinch of sugar or pat of butter rounds off a dish that tastes too sharp.
What is soup, cream of tomato?
Cream of tomato soup is the condensed canned soup that splits the difference between a tomato sauce and a cream soup. It is a thick, brick-red paste of concentrated tomato softened with a little dairy and starch, tangier and sweeter than the other cream cans.
It is worth saying up front that this is not the same as plain condensed tomato soup. Plain tomato soup is sharp and water-thin once diluted. The cream version is rounder and milder, built with dairy so it reads as a sauce rather than a tang.
Cooks reach for it as a tomato binder: a ready-made, already-salted tomato base that thickens and flavors a dish in one pour.
Ways to Use It
It is condensed, so the can wants a measure of milk or water. Add milk for a creamy bowl of soup; add little or nothing when you want it to bind and sauce a baked dish.
Its strength is tomato-forward comfort food. It is the sauce binding the rice and beef in Porcupine Meatballs, the tomato layer inside Filled Stuffed Peppers Supreme, and the base that ties together a baked pasta like Mazetti.
It also makes a fast tomato-cream pasta sauce. Warm one can, loosen it with a splash of milk or pasta water, hit it with garlic and basil, and toss it with cooked noodles.
Watch the heat with dairy in the mix. Tomato is acidic, and if you boil it hard with milk it can curdle, so keep it at a gentle simmer and stir.
Pairing and Cautions
Tomato loves company: ground beef, sausage, rice, pasta, peppers, onions, and melted cheese. A grilled cheese sandwich next to a bowl of it is the obvious pairing for a reason.
The acid is the thing to manage. If a finished dish tastes too sharp, a pinch of sugar or a pat of butter rounds it off, the same trick you would use on any tomato sauce.
And go easy on salt. The can is well salted already, so taste before you add more, especially alongside cheese or cured sausage.
Substitutes
There is no clean one-can swap, because the others are not tomato. The closest is plain condensed tomato soup with a splash of cream or milk stirred in to soften its edge.
To make your own, simmer 1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes with ½ cup broth for a few minutes, then stir in ¼ cup cream off the heat and season with a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. Adding the cream off the boil keeps it from curdling against the acid.
A cup of marinara loosened with a little cream will also stand in at a pinch.
Buying and Storing
A standard can runs about 10.5 ounces (roughly 298 grams), the "one can" most recipes mean. Read the label so you grab cream of tomato and not plain tomato soup, since they behave differently. Skip any can that is bulging or rusted.
Unopened, it keeps a year or more in the pantry, often past the printed date; the acidity actually helps it last. Once opened, refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container and use within three to four days.
Never store tomato product in the open can, where the acid reacts with the metal.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (251g)Quick facts
Where to find soup, cream of tomato: Soup, cream of tomato is usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Soup, cream of tomato is a member of the Soups, Sauces, and Gravies US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 汤，奶油番茄
- British (UK) term
- Soup, cream of tomato
- en français
- crème de soupe de tomate, en conserve, condensée
- en español
- crema de sopa de tomate, en lata, condensada
How much does soup, cream of tomato weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 251 grams |
| 1 can (10.75 oz) | 305 grams |
Related
Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Recipes using soup, cream of tomato
There are 11 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Chavrie Quick Tomato Soup
Adding fresh goat cheese to your favorite tomoato soup adds a great flavor of creamy zing! You are going to love it!
Roll Out the Lasagna
Lasagna roll-up filled with cottage cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and Parmesan, baked in a cream of tomato sauce with oregano. A fun twist on classic lasagna.
Best Family Pot Roast
Slow cooker family pot roast with chuck, celery, onions, cream of tomato soup, beef bouillon, and sage. A 9-hour hands-off Sunday roast that thickens into rich gravy.
Ozark-Style Venison Stroganoff
Ozark venison stroganoff marinates deer cubes, browns them in shortening, then simmers with mushrooms in cream of tomato soup before finishing with sour cream. Hunter's-style game stew over rice or potatoes.
Hamburger Pacific
Hamburger Pacific is a retro ground beef casserole layered with mushrooms, creamed corn, cream of tomato soup, chop suey vegetables, and egg noodles. Comfort food with an Asian twist.
Crockpot Stuffed Green Peppers
A scrumptious appetizer that is easy to make in your crockpot. Goes great with a grilled steak and mashed potatoes.
Irish Hot Pot
Irish hot pot casserole layered with sliced potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, rice, and smoked sausage baked in tomato soup. A hearty one-dish dinner that feeds a crowd.
Filled Stuffed Peppers Supreme
Meat filled green peppers in a spicy tomato cream sauce. A hand me down family recipe that I have greatly modified & finally written down.
Porcupine Meatballs
Porcupine meatballs with uncooked rice mixed into ground beef, baked in cream of tomato soup until the rice pokes through like quills. A retro family favorite.
Speedy NuWave Hamburger Pie
Designed for a FlavorWave or NuWave onion. Hamburger pie that uses leftover mashed potatoes with cheese and green beans. An easy on dish meal.
Mazetti
Mazetti: a dump-and-go slow cooker casserole with ground beef, egg noodles, tomato soup, corn, and mushrooms. Eight-hour weeknight dinner that feeds a family on autopilot.
