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Creamy vegan tomato soup instantly takes me back to my childhood. A big bowl with a grilled cheese sandwich was my ideal lunch on a rainy day. My friend Lindsey told me she sneaks in fresh zucchini and carrots to hers and I had to give it a shot. It was phenomenal with the additional vegetables, which is why I’m sharing it with you.
Vegan Tomato Soup Ingredients
Wondering how this vegan tomato soup version compares to traditional heavy cream-based tomato soups? Letโs take a look at the vegan-friendly ingredients I’m using in this recipe:
- Avocado Oil: A heart-healthy fat perfect for sautรฉing, avocado oil adds smooth richness while keeping the soup dairy-free. You can swap for olive oil or coconut oil, if you prefer.
- Yellow Onion: Packed with antioxidants, onions not only bring a savory foundation to the soup but also offer numerous health benefits, like supporting heart health and fighting inflammation.
- Carrots: Add natural sweetness and a vibrant color to the soup while loaded with beta-carotene.
- Celery: This versatile veggie adds a hint of earthiness and a satisfying crunch, balancing out the flavors of the tomato and other ingredients.
- Garlic: Rich in antioxidants, garlic not only adds a robust, aromatic flavor but also supports immune function and heart health.
- Zucchini: With a mild flavor and creamy texture, zucchini blends seamlessly into the soup, providing nutrients like fiber that help thicken the soup.
- Vegetable Stock: Opt for low-sodium vegetable stock or vegetable broth for the best flavor. It forms the base of the soup, adding richness and depth to every spoonful. I can even show you how to make vegetable stock.
- Diced Tomatoes: The key ingredient, diced tomatoes bring a burst of tangy, bold flavor. Tomatoes are also packed with vitamins and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that supports skin and heart health. You can also use fire-roasted tomatoes, which I did in my Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup recipe or roast cherry tomatoes in the oven to make from scratch.
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of classic herbs like oregano and basil, Italian seasoning enhances the soupโs flavors with fragrant, earthy notes. Add in red pepper flakes and black pepper if you like spiciness.
- Cashew Cream: A vegan-friendly alternative to heavy cream, cashew cream provides a luscious, creamy texture and additional protein without any added dairy.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: A vibrant and aromatic finishing touch, fresh basil complements the tomatoes and enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
How to Make Vegan Tomato Soup
This one-pot vegan soup recipe can be made in 45 minutes with a few basic steps. To speed up the process, you can buy onions, carrots and celery pre-diced. Follow along for step by step instructions to make this:
- Heat some avocado oil over medium heat in a stock pot. Mix in some diced onion and add a touch of salt for flavor.
- Stir frequently while cooking for 7 minutes, or until the onions show signs of softening.
- Add in sliced carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Mix in chopped zucchini and cook until it starts to become tender. Since you are going to puree your tomato soup, no need to peel the zucchini.
- Stir in the vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, and your Italian herbs.
- Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables become very soft and tender.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender. If youโve got a regular blender with a heat-safe container, you can puree the soup with that, just make sure you work in batches to avoid a soup explosion in your kitchen!
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with your choice of toppings (I like to add in cashew cream, fresh basil or vegan parmesan cheese sprinkle).
How to Store Vegan Tomato Soup
After cooling the soup fully, pour into 2-cup Souper Cubes or your fav freezer safe containers (leaving room for expansion) and freeze. When ready to enjoy, reheat the cubes in microwave or stove top.
What to Serve with Vegan Tomato Soup
The right side dish can turn a soup into a truly satisfying meal. The follow ideas pair beautiful with my vegan tomato soup:
- Crusty Bread or Garlic Toast: Great for soaking up the soupโs flavors.
- Green Salad: Adds freshness and a crispy texture. Try my lemon arugula salad for a tasty crunch.
- Avocado Toast or Croutons: Adds creamy or crunchy toppings for extra texture.
- Vegan Quesadilla or Vegan Grilled Cheese: A satisfying, hearty option for the cheese lovers.
- Stuffed Sweet Potato: A comforting side with natural sweetness. My Loaded Sweet Potato is always a winner.
Common Questions
Traditional tomato soup contains dairy in the form of cream or milk. A vegan tomato soup recipe swaps dairy for coconut milk or cashews to create a super creamy soup. I like to puree once everything is cooked through, then add a dollop of cashew cream (or vegan sour cream) to bump up the cream factor.
It can be! If you’re choosing a canned soup, read the ingredients… canned soup companies love sneaking in additives, preservatives and dyes to their soups. If you want to control what goes into your soup, then make it at home. My tomato soup recipe is loaded with a variety of vegetables yet is still super creamy and flavored like the tomato soup of my childhood.
I use Muir Glen brand diced tomatoes. They are organic and taste great! If you use fresh tomatoes I recommend using brandywine. They’ve got the best flavor for tomato soup.
More Vegan Soup Recipe Ideas
These vegan soup recipes are high in flavor and veggies, making them extra filling. Grab an insulated water bottle or thermos to enjoy any of these on the go:
- Gazpacho Soup: A tomato-based soup that’s best enjoyed cold.
- Vegan Pumpkin Soup: A creamy delight perfect for Autumn gatherings.
- Carrot Ginger Soup: Insanely flavorful, this soup is a great lunch option.
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup: The roasted peppers are an extra step but totally worth the flavor.
- Blended Vegetable Soup: Perfect for sick days, busy days or days where you just need some nourishing comfort.
Let me know in the comments how this vegan tomato soup turned out for you. Itโs a Hansard family favorite recipeโ I hope it can be on regular rotation for you, too!
Vegan Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- โ tsp sea salt
- โ tsp black pepper
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 ribs celery chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 zucchini sliced
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Toppings
- ยฝ cup Cashew Cream
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Warm oil over medium-high heat in stock pot. Add onion and season with a little salt. Cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes or until the onion starts to soften.
- Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes, until it starts to soften.
- Stir in vegetable stock, tomatoes, and Italian herbs. Bring just to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft and tender.
- Remove soup from heat then blend using an immersion blender to puree soup. If you prefer it chunky, blend less.
- Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with your choice of toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Fire-roasted tomatoes (canned) gives this dish a rich, robust flavor that I am obsessed with.
- Feel free to spice this soup up with red pepper flakes, paprika, or fresh chopped chili peppers.
- You can use olive oil or coconut oil in place of avocado oil.
- If you have a blender that is heat-safe, then you can use a regular blender over an immersion blender. If your blender container is not heat safe, then allow your cooked soup to cool down before adding to the blender in batches to blend. If you want to serve after blending, reheat to eating temp after pureed.
- To keep this soup nut-free swap out the cashew cream topping for a dairy-free sour cream of your choice.
Love this challenge!
Aw! We do too! So glad you’re here!
Wonderful- my family and I liked it a lot! Especially good with grilled cheese sandwiches. Yum!
Excellent soup. I don’t like pureed soup so I made one modification. After following the recipe exactly I pureed half of the soup in the Vitamix and added it back to the other half giving the soup a nice amount of body – not too thick and still with plenty of pieces of veggies.
Great idea, Patricia!
Soup was easy to make., it tasted like veggie beef stew without the beef, especially for a non-cook. I think I can prep this and make it again. Lovely veggie soup. Great for cold day and today 10/4/2021. I got veggie broth with black pepper, well my family got it. I do not like black pepper. I was worried that would ruin it but it didnโt. I think I am actually allergic to black pepper. But I think I could have added more tomatoes next time and find a non-pepper broth. I liked the soup. Easy to make. I
I have made this soup over and over. Itโs so delicious. Almost like a blended vegetable minestrone. Yum! Tonight I roasted the last of my garden tomatoes- 1# per 1 can.
Thanks so much for sharing the ratio of tomatoes to canned amount, Meagan. Glad this one’s a winner for you!
Lotsa flavour..look forward to soup on 2nd day as it always tastes better on day 2…yum!
Amen! #leftovers
This soup was amazing i added a little sour cream to it. It was delicious
The addition of the fire roasted tomatoes really added a nice bold flavor and fullness to the recipe. It wasnโt as rich without a dairy addition, so I may try adding that next time. Delicious and definitely will make this one again!
MAKE THE CREAM SAUCE
Just wow, Iโve never made or ate tomato soup since being forced to eat the one from a can as a child. This soup is amazing! The taste, flavor, and texture was so robust and smooth. Iโm so happy I made the cream sauce, this will go on every soup and chili I make from now on.
One change I would like to see is utilizing 2 cans of tomatoes rather than 2 cups so that I donโt have leftover. I wanted to make this recipe exactly as written (as I do with most unless I have to sub an ingredient I canโt find). I strongly believe throwing both cans of tomatoes in wouldnโt have made a noticeable difference. This was my first time using roasted tomatoes and I wasnโt sure if it would be too much using both cans, next time Iโll just use both and maybe counter with a little extra veggie broth.
You have to make this soup!
Love the feedback, Colleen. So helpful! And go Team Cashew Cream!!
Soup is thick, creamy, nutritious and filling. It is so satisfying and healthy. Loved it!
Tried cashew cream for first time. It blew my mind. Way more tasty than full cream. Absolutely no comparison!
Really easy to make and lots of flavor!
This soup was a complete winner in our house and a definite make again! Made it as written with no subs or additions. Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely delicious. Gotta add the basil and cashew cream for the extra goodness
Pretty good considering this was really my first time giving tomato soup a chance…..as well as an immersion blender!
Way to try new things, Wendy! You’ve got this!!
This recipe was easy to follow and make. I would add more spice but it was quite enjoyable.
This vegan tomato soup was so delicious, easy to prepare, and filled our tummies! We loved starting the soup challenge with a comfort soup just right for the changing season! Besides the cashew cream, I topped it with croutons and nutritional yeast! Never mind the vegan canned tomato soups weโve been eating as this will be our go-to soup with grilled vegan cheese sandwiches! Love the simplicity of this recipe for the classic soup!