Homemade Blender Tomato Soup Recipe with Fresh Dill
Forget everything you think you know about tomato soup—this fresh tomato soup recipe is bursting with bold flavors that take it far beyond the ordinary. Fresh tomatoes, fennel, saffron, orange zest, and dill come together in one unforgettable bowl.
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Post last updated July 2, 2026.
Summer is all about fresh tomatoes and once we get tired of eating them raw in salads, let’s turn to soup.
If you’re anything like me, you either plant way more tomatoes than you can possibly eat or go a little overboard at the farmer’s market. A few days later those perfectly ripe tomatoes are begging to be used. Those less-than-perfect tomatoes are exactly what you want for this delicious tomato soup because they’ll cook down into incredible flavor.
If you are anticipating a recipe for an upscale version of Campbell’s, think again. This soup is complex and loaded with flavor. With fennel, orange zest and dill all competing for attention the tomatoes act as a foundation, more of a flavorful base that pulls everything together.
If you are a dill hater (I know there are some of you out there) feel free to switch up the herb, Italian parsley, fresh basil, or chives would all work well here.
Why This Recipe Works
- Fresh, vibrant flavor. Fresh tomatoes, fennel, saffron, orange zest, and dill make every spoonful unforgettable.
- Perfect for dinner. Rice turns this tomato soup into a cozy, satisfying meal.
- Perfect for tomato season. A delicious way to use up ripe garden or farmers’ market tomatoes.
- Easy to customize. Swap the herbs, use vegetable broth, or add a swirl of cream or Greek yogurt.
- Even better the next day. The flavors deepen, making leftovers just as delicious.
Ingredients
- Olive oil – I always use California Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a fresher taste.
- Yellow onion, carrot, celery & garlic cloves -These vegetables create the savory backbone of the soup. If you’re out of celery, add a little extra onion and carrot instead.
- Tomato paste – Adds richness and deepens the tomato flavor. If you don’t have any, a bit of tomato sauce will work, though the soup won’t be quite as concentrated.
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are my favorite because they’re meaty and flavorful, but any ripe garden tomatoes work beautifully. Good-quality canned tomatoes (diced or whole tomatoes, my favorite are San Marzano tomatoes) are all excellent substitutes that you can find at the grocery store.
- Orange zest – Adds bright citrus flavor that balances the rich tomatoes.
- Red chile flakes – Add just enough heat to wake up the soup without overpowering the tomatoes.
- Fennel seed – Adds a subtle sweetness.
- Bay leaf & saffron – Gives the broth an incredible aroma and beautiful color
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth – Gives the soup a rich, savory base. To make it vegetarian, simply swap in vegetable broth.
- Granulated sugar – Balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Basmati Rice or brown rice – Rice transforms this from a light starter into a satisfying meal
- Dill – gives the soup its bright, fresh finish and pairs surprisingly well with the tomatoes and orange zest. If you love cooking with fresh dill, you’ll also enjoy my Swedish salmon recipe.
- Kosher salt and black pepper – I always cook with Morton kosher salt because it’s what I keep in my kitchen. For the best flavor, use freshly cracked black pepper rather than pre-ground pepper.
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Chop your veggies. Start by prepping the carrot, onion, celery, garlic cloves, and tomatoes. If you plan to blend the soup, there’s no need to worry about perfect knife skills—the tomato skin and vegetables will soften as they cook and blend into a silky, smooth soup. Whether you’re using an immersion blender or a high speed blender, rough chopping is perfectly fine.
step two
Sauté veg. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies soften and start to caramelize.
step three
Cook tomato paste. Add tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables and brown the paste a little bit.
step four
Add tomatoes. Put the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, saffron, fennel seed, orange zest, chile flakes, and chicken broth. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer so the tomatoes can slowly break down and develop their deep tomato flavor.
step five
Simmer soup. Now it’s time to let the soup do its thing and simmer away gently until the vegetables are tender and the tomatoes have broken down. This won’t take too long, only about 20 minutes. Stir in the sugar and dill.
At this point it is a choose your own adventure situation. You can serve the soup chunky as it is or opt to make a smooth, creamy soup and blend it. Either way, the first thing you have to do is make the rice (unless of course you have cooked rice you are going to use).
step six
Cook the rice. If you have cooked rice hanging out in the fridge, this is the time to use it. Just add it to the blended soup and cook until warm. Otherwise, we need to cook it. If you are serving the soup chunky and not blended. Just pour the rice into the soup pot along with the sugar and dill and cook until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
If you are going to blend the soup, cook it separately by filling a small saucepan with water and adding a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, add the rice and cook until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
step seven
Blend the soup. Puree the hot soup using an immersion blender right in the soup pot, or carefully transfer it to a regular blender or high-powered blender.
Be careful: Blending hot soup is dangerous. Only fill up the blender halfway with soup (you will do this in batches). Cover with the lid but remove the insert in the middle. Cover the top with a paper towel and hold the paper towel down with one hand then turn the blender on low with the other hand. Blend until smooth. Pour into a separate large bowl and repeat with remaining soup.
step eight
Serve! If you blended the soup, now is the time to add the rice. Stir it in, and give the soup a taste. Add more salt if needed. Then serve in big bowls. Garnish with a bit more chopped dill on top.
Tips & Easy Variations
One of my favorite things about this soup is how easy it is to customize. Here are a few simple ways to make it your own.
- During tomato season, use the ripest garden tomatoes you can find for the brightest fresh flavor.
- No fresh tomatoes? Good-quality canned tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes make an excellent substitute.
- Prefer an even richer soup? Stir in a swirl of coconut milk, cashew cream, or a little sour cream before serving.
- Fresh dill is my favorite, but fresh basil creates a delicious tomato basil variation.
- Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken for extra protein.
What to Serve with Tomato Rice Soup
This hearty tomato rice soup is filling enough for dinner on its own, but I never say no to a good side for dipping, scooping, or rounding out the meal.
- Crusty Bread or Focaccia: Perfect for soaking up every last spoonful of the flavorful broth.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich (from our sister site ¡Hola! Jalapeño): A classic pairing that never disappoints. Sharp cheddar, mozzarella, or a blend of cheeses all work well.
- Simple Green Salad: A crisp salad with a lemon vinaigrette balances the rich tomato broth.
- Roasted Vegetables: Roasted brussels sprouts, cauliflower, potatoes or zucchini make an easy, colorful side.
- Cheese Toasts: Toast slices of sourdough with butter and Parmesan or Gruyère until golden and bubbly.
- Pita Chips: Crispy pita chips are another delicious option if you’re looking for something different than bread.
Storage & Leftovers
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I actually think it’s even more flavorful the next time you reheat it!
If you’re planning to freeze it, leave the rice out and add freshly cooked rice after thawing for the best creamy texture. Warm the soup gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
If You Love This Recipe Try…
- Pasta with Capers, Mint & Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Kate’s Best Vegan Tofu Scramble
- Turkish Meatballs with Red Pepper Relish
- Bean Soup with Chorizo
- Calico Baked Beans with Molasses
- Potato and Green Bean Curry
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole
Your Grilled Cheese Sandwich Just Found A New Best Friend
Be prepared, make this soup once, and you’ll be making it all summer long. When you try it, let me know how it went! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @katesbestrecipes so that I can see (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter so you never miss a thing.
Tomato Rice Soup with Dill
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (or two small) medium dice
- 1 medium carrot, sliced
- 1 celery stalk, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 pounds ripe summer tomatoes, chopped or 1 (28-ounce can) whole tomatoes
- finely grated zest from 1 large orange
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, or more if you want it spicier
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch saffron, optional
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped dill, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice or 1 cup cooked rice
Instructions
- Sauté veggies. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped celery stalk and 4 cloves garlic and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and stir until it has melted in with the vegetables, about 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and spices. Add 2 pounds chopped tomatoes, orange zest from 1 orange, 1/4 teaspoon (or more) chili flakes, 1/4 teaspoon fennel, 1 bay leaf, a pinch saffron, and 4 cups broth to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a slow simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Blend. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 cup chopped dill and remove bay leaf. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or using a regular blender (see notes about blending hot liquids), if desired. This is optional, if you want to have a chunkier soup, skip the blending step, add the 1/4 cup rice to the pot and cook until rice is tender, about 8 minutes more. Taste and season with more sugar, salt, and pepper as necessary.
- Cook rice. If you want to blend the soup you'll have to cook the rice separately and add it after it has been blended. To cook the rice, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt then add rice. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes then drain.
- Serve. Stir cooked rice into blended soup, taste and season with more sugar, salt, and pepper as necessary. Garnish with extra chopped dill. Yum!
Notes
- Tomatoes: You can also make this in the winter using canned tomatoes. Substitute 1 (28-ounce) can of whole tomatoes.
- Blending hot liquids: Be very careful when blending hot liquids. Ladle the soup into the blender, only filling the blender halfway full. Place the lid on the blender but remove the inner insert. Place a folded piece of paper towel over the hole and hold it down with one hand. Turn the blender on low with the other hand and blend until smooth.
- Cooked rice: If you have cooked rice in the fridge this is a great place to use it. Stir the cooked rice into the soup right before serving.
- Uncooked rice: 1/4 cup might not seem like a lot of rice but it will expand as the soup cools.
