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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? Let’s take a look at the vegan-friendly ingredients I’m using in this recipe:
- Avocado Oil: A heart-healthy fat perfect for sautéing, 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 soup’s 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 you’ve 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 soup’s 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. It’s a Hansard family favorite recipe— I hope it can be on regular rotation for you, too!
Vegan Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ 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
- ½ 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.
This tomato soup is delicious! I tried a few other tomato soup recipes and this one was the best one so far. I also love that it is so easy to make and so flavorful with a few ingredients. I didn’t modify the recipe.
So good – perfect fall soup.
I am giving this soup 4 stars because it was delicious but I didn’t have the zucchini which would have made it 5 stars I believe. I made this soup for lunch for my husband and I. He enjoyed it very much. He is Italian and it reminded him of a dish his mother used to make. I decided not to offer this to my kids. Ha!
Soup was sooooo yummy!!! Will definitely be making again! I didn’t make the cashew cream cuz of a nut allergy so I used vegan coconut sour cream!!! Yummmm!!
I enjoyed the other veggies in this soup. They made it more interesting. I would definitely add cashews or some of the cashew crepe next time I make this soup, just to thicken it a bit. I would def make it again.
This tomato soup is delicious! I tried a few other tomato soup recipes and this one was the best one so far. I also love that it is so easy to make and so flavorful with a few ingredients.
Overall really good! My husband is on a low-salt diet so that always skews things for us. I added crushed red pepper flakes and thickened it up a bit with some corn starch dissolved in oat milk. We also topped it with pesto and a little Parmesan cheese. Plenty of flavor even with the low-salt broth etc.
I loved this rustic soup. Made it without the oil…just used more of the veggie stock. It would be fabulous with a hearty whole wheat bread. Loved the fire roasted tomatoes in it. My husband added salt, I didn’t…I thought it was delicious as it was!
I edited the recipe and made it a little more simpler and enjoyed it just the same.
None Used:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 ribs celery, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
3 cups vegetable stock
This was a hit with my family! We have a few small children and they ate this without complaint, which is a big deal. We paired it with oven grilled cheese sandwiches and there were many which asked for seconds of both. Love how many veggies were in this recipe!
I will be making again!
This soup is very delicious. Very flavorful and easy! I followed the recipe exactly and added the cashew cream. The combination was delicious. Highly recommend trying this one!
I made the Vegan Tomato Soup. Due to allergy’s, I had to change up a few things. One of my allergies is tomatoes; So, I used Tamarind soup instead. For the Italian seasoning, I used a gluten free Italian spice that I have made on my own. I also made the Cashew Cream & used it in the soup as directed. What an addition! The soup was Very Delicious & I loved the creamy texture the Cashew Cream gave the soup. Thank You for this recipe. Oh, one other thing, I used my crockpot to cook this soup.
My whole family loved it, including 3 teenagers. I left it a bit chunky. So much flavor!
This recipe is a keeper. Definitely more flavorful than regular tomato soup. In my family has no idea how many vegetables they ate last night!
This was very good and really easy soup, I am not a huge zucchini fan, but this worked well because of the blending at the end.