Tomatoes are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant compounds that offer a wide range of health benefits.
Research even suggests that these nutrients may protect against multiple diseases, including heart disease and cancer (1Trusted Source).
Therefore, enjoying tomato soup may be a delicious way to make the most of the health benefits of tomatoes. You could savor a rich, warm bowl of soup during sweater weather or a refreshing gazpacho in summer.
Here are 9 science-based benefits of tomato soup.
1. Highly nutritious
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) have relatively few calories, but they are packed with nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.
Here is the nutrient profile of one large (182-gram) raw tomato (2Trusted Source):
Calories: 33
Carbs: 7 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 1.6 grams
Fat: 0.4 grams
Vitamin C: 28% of the Daily Value (DV)
Vitamin K: 12% of the DV
Vitamin A: 8% of the DV
Potassium: 9% of the DV
Tomatoes are also rich in carotenoids — namely lycopene — providing about 80% of the DV for lycopene (3Trusted Source).
Lycopene is the pigment that gives tomatoes their characteristic bright red color. It may also be responsible for many of their health benefits, given its potential preventive effect on various chronic diseases (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
Interestingly, research suggests that the body absorbs lycopene better when it is cooked. Heat may increase its bioavailability or absorption rate.
Because tomato soup is made with cooked tomatoes, it is an excellent source of this compound (3Trusted Source).