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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.
Who doesn’t love tomato soup and a grilled cheese
Good soup, very tasty.
This one didn’t have as much flavor as I thought it would. I did add the cashew cream while blending in the Vitamix which made it creamy and smooth. I think it needed more spices. I also sprinkled some nutritional yeast on top which enhanced the taste.
Love the flavor of this soup and it was so easy to make! The cashew cream made it decadent. I’ll definitely make this one again!
I thought this would have more flavor but maybe it will by tomorrow. I did blend the cashew cream into the soup and sprinkled nutritional yeast on top. I think it will be better if I add a little bit of Miso. I think it may need more spices.
One of my favorites, perfect with a good grilled cheese 🙂
I liked this soup, made it for dinner tonight. I made it more the texture of applesauce. Maybe I would have liked it more if I puréed it longer!
Soup was good. Like sneaking in extra veggies without anyone else noticing. The cashew cream was a big hit too.
Liked this one. Puréed it with an immersion blender, but need to try it in the actual blender next time, as it was a little chunky and I prefer my tomato soup to be smooth. Drizzled a little pesto oil in addition to adding a little fresh basil. Would also work very well as the base for a tomato sauce.
Another one to add to the menu!
Added roasted bell pepper, didn’t make the cashew cream as forgot to get the cashews.
Excited for the next 5 days. Missed Wednesday as hubby was not feeling well so just did left over of the potato soup.
This was okay….It didn’t blend up very well for me with the immersion blender. I’m not sold on the zucchini in it.
Loved this one. Didn’t bother with the cashew cream. Just topped with fresh basil and cracked black pepper. A “keeper”!
Nice soup! Lined the taste and will make again!
This soup was very tasty. I skipped the cashew cream because we had it for dinner with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Definite keeper to make again on a cold Canadian fall/winter day!
This was very good. I’m impressed. After I added enough salt and a little cayenne pepper, this soup was amazing. I used some vegan parmesan cheese on it and it was great. Next time I will probably put cashew cream instead cause I like that as well. My husband & kids are very picky, won’t eat most “healthy” things that I eat, and even they liked it.
Good base but had to add red and black pepper for more taste. Next time I will play around with the spices.
This soup is easy to adjust to my dietary needs. I can’t use salt on my food because of very high blood pressure. So, I love my vegetables and nuts to add flavor. Making this with all the healthy ingredients is a dish that wakes up my flavor and taste buds.
DELICIOUS!! This was my favorite soup so far. I did not make any substitutions and it was perfect. The cashew cream was amazing.