Creamy Chipotle Tomato Soup
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If you’re craving a cozy bowl of comfort with a smoky, spicy twist, this Creamy Chipotle Tomato Soup is the recipe you need. Made with canned tomatoes, creamy navy beans, and smoky chipotle peppers in adobo, this soup delivers bold flavor with minimal effort. A swirl of cream cheese and half & half creates a silky, restaurant-quality texture, while sour cream adds the perfect finishing touch. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, a freezer-friendly meal prep option, or the ultimate soup to pair with grilled cheese, this chipotle tomato soup is sure to become a family favorite.
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Heather’s Notes
- A quick and cozy recipe perfect for weeknights or meal prep.
- The creamy texture balances the smoky heat from chipotle peppers beautifully.
- Uses pantry staples like canned tomatoes and beans, so it’s budget-friendly.
- Protein-packed thanks to navy beans, making it more filling than traditional tomato soup.
- Easily adaptable with substitutions for different diets and spice levels.
Ingredients in Chipotle Tomato Soup
To make this rich and smoky Creamy Chipotle Tomato Soup, you’ll need:
- Olive oil – Adds depth and a silky base for sautéing the onions.
- Diced onion – Yellow or white onion works best for sweetness.
- Canned diced tomatoes – The heart of the soup; choose fire-roasted for extra flavor.
- Canned navy beans – Blends in for creaminess and protein without overpowering flavor.
- Chipotle chili in adobo sauce – Provides smoky heat; start with one pepper and adjust spice to taste.
- Cream cheese – Creates a rich, tangy body and balances the tomatoes’ acidity.
- Kosher salt – Enhances all the flavors in the soup.
- Half & half – Adds creaminess without being too heavy.
- Sour cream – A final swirl for tang and silkiness.
Substitutions & Variations
- Beans – Use cannellini beans or great northern beans if navy beans are unavailable.
- Dairy-free – Swap cream cheese and half & half for dairy-free cream cheese and unsweetened coconut milk.
- Milder version – Reduce chipotle pepper to half or use smoked paprika for smoky flavor without the heat.
- Extra veggies – Add roasted red peppers or carrots to sneak in more nutrients.
- Protein boost – Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken for a heartier meal.
How to Make this Chipotle Soup Recipe
- Sauté the onions: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Build the base: Stir in canned diced tomatoes, drained navy beans, and chopped chipotle chili with a spoonful of adobo sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend: Using an immersion blender (or carefully transferring to a blender), puree the soup until smooth.
- Make it creamy: Stir in cream cheese until melted, then add half & half. Simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
- Season and finish: Taste and add kosher salt as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream before serving.
Tips for Storing
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in single-serve portions for easy lunches, up to 3 months.
- Reheat gently over low heat to avoid separating the dairy.
- Stir in a splash of half & half when reheating to revive creaminess.
FAQs
Yes! This soup freezes beautifully. Just cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Reheat gently on the stovetop.
It pairs wonderfully with crusty bread, grilled cheese sandwiches, or a crisp green salad.
One chipotle pepper adds medium heat. If you prefer mild, use half a pepper or just a spoonful of the adobo sauce.
Absolutely! Swap the cream cheese and half & half with plant-based alternatives and use vegan sour cream for garnish.
It’s the easiest method, but an immersion blender works great too. Be sure to let the soup cool slightly and blend in batches.
More Recipes We Love
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
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- Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Chipotle Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups diced onion
- 29 oz diced tomatoes, store bought canned or home canned
- 7 oz navy beans, canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium chipotle chile pepper, from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 2 tsp adobo sauce, from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 2 oz cream cheese
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup sour cream
- fresh basil, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large saucepan. Add diced onion and saute until beginning to lightly brown, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, navy beans, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, or until onions are very tender; remove from heat.
If Using A Blender
- Allow the soup to cool before using a blender! Working in batches, puree the tomato mixture in a blender. Open the lid carefully. Return to saucepan. Whisk in the half-and-half and cream cheese. Place over medium heat and cook until heated through and cheese has melted. Remove from heat, stir in the salt and remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Serve topped with sour cream and fresh basil, if desired.
If Using an Immersion Blender
- Puree the tomato mixture in the saucepan. Whisk in the half-and-half and cream cheese. Place over medium heat and cook until heated through and cheese has melted. Remove from heat, stir in the salt and remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Serve topped with sour cream and fresh basil, if desired.
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Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Co-Founder at Spiceology | More About Heather…
Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
Made this yesterday. It was the perfect lunch this soup + grilled cheese. I did a few changes like adding in some garlic, fire roasted tomatoes instead of regular ones, cutting back the cream and adding some water in, and one extra chipotle pepper. Didn’t make it too spicy. Next time I am going to double the batch and freeze it in 2 cup servings for lunches and easy dinners. Blogged about it here. Even though I changed it quite a bit. I did link it back to your original recipe. Love Love Love your website! http://stephaniesazkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/12/smoky-garlic-chipotle-tomato-soup.html
Kathleen,
I know it has been a couple weeks since you commented, but if you’re still trying to make this soup and freeze it, here is a suggestion. Make the large batch of soup and puree in the blender and then freeze that portion of the recipe in servings of four. Then when you take the soup out to re-heat, you can add the cream cheese and half and half to the soup, since those are the last steps of the recipe anyways.
Hope this helps! I am going to try making a double recipe of this tomorrow and freezing the rest!
Thats a great idea Jane! Freezing the soup without the dairy… one of my goals for the new year is to do freezer cooking every month to save on eating out expenses. Totally going to do that.
This looks like a great recipe for the 12 pounds of Roma tomatoes I have in the deep freeze! Only problem is I would like to make a large batch of soup and then freeze in portions serving four. I’m concerned the cream ingredients will curdle when I reheat – any suggestions?
Hi Heather – this sounds like a great recipe for the 12 pounds of Roma tomatoes in my deep freeze but I am concerned about making a big batch with the heavy cream and cream cheese and then re- freezing the finished product. I’m worried the creams will curdle whenI reheat-any suggestions?
This looks amazing! Two of my favorite things – chipotle and tomato soup. I must try it!
Wow, it looks great and the pic is stunning! I’m not a big soupy guy but might have to change now…
I love the idea of kicking up tomato soup with some smoky chipotle peppers. This soup makes me wish that fall would hurry up and get here.
The soup sounds delicious! I love the addition of chipotle to the tomato soup.
This soup looks super rich and decadent but it’s not! Win!
Well with the weather right now I feel like summer is really over. This would have been perfect with today’s rain!
Mmmm … I love a good tomato soup with a kick.
Oh, YES! I have this recipe marked to make…and I’m so happy that I do – it looks brilliant! 🙂
I would have never thought to put chipotle in tomato soup – love it!
We love spice and tomato soup! This looks like the perfect combo. ; )
I am lactose intolerant and have celiacs. This soup looks delicious but do you have a possible suggestion for substituting the cream cheese and sour cream. I was possibly hemp milk (great as a cream substitute) what are your thoughts.
If you’ve used hemp milk before with success, I bet it would be great. You could completely omit the cream cheese from any substitution as I don’t think it added that much to the soup – just my opinion. Let me know if you decide to make it using hemp milk…I would love to know how it worked out.