Quick Answer
Tomato soup can be high or low in carbs depending on the recipe. Plain tomato soup made with tomatoes, vegetables, and broth is very low in carbs. However, condensed canned tomato soups or tomato soups made with flour, pasta, rice, or cream can be quite high in carbs. On average, one cup of tomato soup contains around 13 grams of carbs.
What Are Carbs?
Carbs, short for carbohydrates, are a type of macronutrient found in many foods. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is your body’s primary source of energy.
There are three main types of carbohydrates:
- Sugars – Found naturally in foods like fruits and milk or added to foods. Examples are sucrose, glucose, and fructose.
- Starches – Long chains of glucose molecules found in grains, vegetables, and beans. Examples are starch and fiber.
- Fiber – Indigestible carbs that promote gut health. Found in plant foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains.
When calculating net carbs in a food, fiber is subtracted because it is not digested and absorbed. So if a food has 15g total carbs and 5g fiber, the net carbs would be 10g.
Carb Content in Different Tomato Soups
The carb content can vary greatly depending on the ingredients used in the tomato soup recipe:
Lower Carb Tomato Soup
- Fresh tomato soup – Made with ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic, and broth is very low in carbs, around 5 grams per cup.
- Canned plain tomato soup – Still relatively low in carbs, around 7 grams per cup.
- Tomato soup with milk/cream – The small amount of dairy adds few carbs, around 3 grams per cup.
Higher Carb Tomato Soup
- Condensed canned tomato soup – Often contains added sugar, around 15 grams of carbs per cup.
- Tomato soup with flour/wheat as thickener – Flour can add 15+ grams of carbs per cup.
- Tomato soup with rice/pasta – The starch from grains can add 20+ grams of carbs per cup.
- Cream-based tomato soup – Dairy cream and flour for thickness boosts carbs to 15+ grams per cup.
So tomato soups low in carbs would be homemade style with minimal ingredients. Be cautious of condensed canned soups or tomato soups with flour, rice, pasta, or large amounts of cream added.
Nutrition Facts of Tomato Soup
Here is the nutrition breakdown for 1 cup (245g) of a typical canned condensed tomato soup versus a homemade tomato soup:
Condensed Canned Tomato Soup (1 cup)
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210 | 6g | 36g | 4g | 32g |
As you can see, the condensed canned soup is very high in carbs, with 32g net carbs per cup.
Homemade Tomato Soup (1 cup)
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 115 | 6g | 14g | 3g | 11g |
The homemade soup has significantly fewer carbs at 11g net carbs per cup.
As you can see, homemade tomato soup is a much better option if limiting carbs.
Tips for Lower Carb Tomato Soup
Here are some tips for making tomato soup lower in carbs:
- Use fresh tomatoes or plain canned tomatoes with no added sugars.
- Avoid using flour, rice, pasta, or other grain thickeners.
- Use milk or cream sparingly. Opt for unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
- Skip starchy vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and corn.
- Flavor with herbs and spices instead of sugar.
- Make your own broth using vegetable scraps for fuller flavor.
- Top with low carb garnishes like cheese, bacon bits, or avocado.
Making your own tomato soup allows you to control the carb content. With fresh tomatoes and homemade broth as the base, the carbs can be kept quite low.
Health Benefits of Tomato Soup
Along with being low in carbs, tomato soup made from fresh ingredients offers many benefits:
- Lycopene – Tomato soup is an excellent source of lycopene, an antioxidant linked to lower risk of cancer and heart disease.
- Vitamin C – Fresh tomatoes provide nearly a full day’s worth of immune-boosting vitamin C per cup.
- Potassium – Tomatoes contain lots of potassium, which supports healthy blood pressure.
- Vitamin A – Tomatoes have vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which promotes good vision and cell growth.
When tomatoes are cooked and pureed into soup, the nutrients become more concentrated and better absorbed. So tomato soup can be a very nutritious addition to your diet if kept low in carbs.
Is Tomato Soup Keto?
The ketogenic or “keto” diet involves restricting carbs to 20-50g per day to reach ketosis. This state of burning fat for fuel has been linked to faster weight loss.
Plain tomato soup can easily fit into a keto diet. One cup provides around 7-11g net carbs, so it should not kick you out of ketosis.
However, higher carb tomato soups made with flour, rice, or cream would not be keto-friendly. These versions could contain 30g+ net carbs per serving.
When buying canned tomato soup, check the label for total and net carbs, and choose low sodium options with no added sugars. Homemade keto tomato soup with minimal ingredients is an even better choice.
Some tips for making tomato soup keto:
- Use fresh tomatoes or plain canned tomatoes.
- Flavor with herbs, spices, and small amounts of cream or coconut milk.
- Thicken with chia seeds or xanthan gum instead of flour.
- Top with keto approved garnishes like cheese, olive oil, or avocado.
With a few simple tweaks, tomato soup can definitely be incorporated into a ketogenic diet.
Is Tomato Soup Keto-Friendly?
Plain tomato soup made with minimal ingredients is keto-friendly. Some quick tips:
- Use fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes with no added sugars.
- Don’t add any starchy vegetables like carrots or potatoes.
- Flavor with herbs and spices instead of sugar.
- Thicken with chia seeds instead of flour.
- Add heavy cream or unsweetened nut milk instead of regular milk.
- Keep portions to 1 cup tomato soup.
- Garnish with keto approved toppings like avocado, bacon, olive oil.
Following these tips will keep the net carbs of tomato soup low, around 5-10g per cup depending on exact ingredients. This fits into a keto diet as long as servings are controlled.
However, tomato soups with added sugars or thickeners like flour or corn starch are too high in carbs for keto. Always check labels or make homemade to control carbs.
Low Carb Tomato Soup Recipe
Here is a delicious homemade tomato soup recipe that is low in carbs and keto-friendly:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1⁄4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped tomatoes, broth, basil, oregano, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot until smooth.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm, garnished with basil leaves, grated Parmesan, or a swirl of cream.
Nutrition per serving (1 cup):
- 110 calories
- 8g fat
- 6g net carbs
- 4g protein
This tomato soup is low carb, creamy, and full of flavor. The fresh tomatoes and homemade broth ensure it’s nutritious as well. Enjoy this keto friendly soup anytime!
Is Canned Tomato Soup High in Carbs?
Canned tomato soup can be high or low in carbs depending on the variety:
- Plain canned tomato soup – Fairly low carb, with around 7g net carbs in 1 cup.
- Condensed canned tomato soup – Much higher in carbs at 15-20g net carbs per cup due to added sugars.
- Low sodium tomato soup – May have extra added sugars to enhance flavor, increasing carbs.
- Organic tomato soup – Often lower in carbs since they use minimal ingredients.
To choose a lower carb canned tomato soup:
- Select plain tomato soup with no added sugars.
- Check the nutrition label and choose options lowest in carbs and sugar.
- Look for organic brands that use few ingredients.
- Avoid condensed or cream-based tomato soups.
- Low sodium soups compensate flavor with more sugar.
Making your own tomato soup at home gives you full control over carb count. But you can find reasonably low carb canned soups with a little label reading.
Conclusion
Tomato soup can range quite a bit in its carb content depending on how it is prepared. Plain tomato soup made from fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes is relatively low in carbs at around 5-10g net carbs per cup. However, condensed varieties or tomato soups thickened with flour or cream can contain 20-30g net carbs per cup.
To make tomato soup lower in carbs, opt for fresh tomatoes or plain canned tomatoes, skip starchy thickeners like flour, and use minimal amounts of cream. Season with herbs and spices instead of sugar. Homemade tomato soup gives you full control over ingredients.
With some modifications like avoiding thickeners and added sugars, tomato soup can easily be incorporated into a low carb or keto diet. Enjoy this nutritious and satiating soup guilt-free by keeping net carbs to under 10g per serving.
