My vegan tomato soup is so rich and creamy, you'd never know it was dairy free! It has a silky smooth texture and classic tangy tomato soup flavor, with a touch of fresh basil. A bowl of this cozy soup is absolutely perfect on a chilly day, and it's incredibly easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. This stuff is so much better than anything you could ever get from a can!
I'm a soup girl for life! Even when I was growing up, I wasn't a fan of meat, so while all the other kids were packing ham and tuna sandwiches for lunch, I would often be enjoying a big thermos full of soup. I've come a long way, as it was usually canned soup in those days. All my old favorite soups still have a place in my heart though, which is probably why I've veganized so many of them, from vegan chicken noodle soup to vegan cream of mushroom soup. And today I'm sharing a recipe for what might be my ultimate favorite: vegan tomato soup!
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There are lots of ways to do tomato soup, and I've shared some fun spins on this dish in the past, including vegan tomato gnocchi soup, tomato orzo soup, and vegan tomato bisque. But today's vegan tomato soup recipe is the closest to that classic tomato soup I grew up eating, only with the addition of some fresh basil (which you could totally leave out if you prefer).
Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan butter. You can find this at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section, near the regular butter. Feel free to substitute a neutral high-heat oil if you need to.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Diced tomatoes. Canned diced tomatoes work best for this recipe, and they're super easy to work with! Some brands give you the option of buying canned tomatoes in juice or sauce. Either one will work in this recipe.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional butter is often processed using animal bone char. The sweetness that the sugar adds will help mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes. If you're opposed to adding sugar, try adding a small amount of diced carrots or sweet potato instead.
- Red pepper flakes. These are totally optional. Use them if you'd like to add a slight kick to your soup, use extra for a big kick, or skip them for a heat-free soup.
- Vegan heavy cream. This is a thing! Silk, Califia Farms, and Country Crock are a few brands that now produce dairy-free heavy cream alternatives. If these products aren't available to you, use coconut cream instead. Of if you're up for a little bit of extra work, you could use homemade cashew cream. Unsweetened vegan coffee creamer should also work, but because it's not as thick you'll probably need to use a little extra.
- Fresh basil. This will add a real flavor punch to your vegan tomato soup, but feel free to leave it out if you want something simpler.
- Salt and pepper.
Equipment You'll Need
Make sure you have a blending device for your soup. I'm using an immersion blender, also known as a hand blender. It's the most convenient device for blending soup, if you ask me! A traditional, pitcher-style blender or even a food processor will also work, though.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Melt your vegan butter in a large pot, then add diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes to soften it up, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning.
Step 2: Now add minced garlic to the pot. Cook it very briefly, just until it starts to release its aroma. Stir it the whole time to keep it from burning.
Step 3: Now stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for twenty minutes.
Step 4: Time to blend your soup! Take the pot off of heat first. You can use an immersion blender, like I'm doing, or transfer it to a blender in batches. Always be super careful when blending hot liquids.
Step 5: Stir your vegan heavy cream into the soup. Carefully check the heat level after you've done this, then place it back on the stove if it needs to be warmed back up.
Step 6: Now stir in chopped fresh basil, along with some salt and pepper to taste. You can make other adjustments at this point as well, such as adding more sugar, cream, or red pepper flakes.
Step 7: Your vegan tomato soup is all ready to enjoy! Ladle it into bowls and dig in. I love to enjoy mine with a crusty piece of bread or a sandwich. This soup is great for dipping hot sandwiches like my vegan Reuben or my grilled avocado sandwich.
Leftovers & Storage
Vegan tomato soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer for about three months.
Variations
- Switch up the herbs. Skip the fresh basil, and instead add a sprig of rosemary or thyme when simmering the soup. Be sure to remove it before blending!
- Italian tomato soup. Add a teaspoon or two of Italian seasoning to the soup.
- Pesto tomato soup. Add a couple of tablespoons of vegan pesto to the soup just before serving, or garnish each bowl with a small dollop of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is.
Sure! You can reduce the amount of vegan butter by up to half. You can also substitute an unsweetened non-dairy milk for the cream, but keep in mind that the soup will not be as creamy.
Most of the sodium comes from the vegetable broth and canned tomatoes, so try using reduced sodium varieties of these ingredients.
More Vegan Soups
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 (28 ounce/794 gram) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ cup vegan heavy cream alternative (see Note)
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onion. Sweat the onion for about ten minutes, stirring often, until it becomes very soft.
- Push the onion to the side, then add the minced garlic to the pot. Sauté the garlic for about one minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat. Allow the soup to cook at a low simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat. Blend the soup until smooth, either using an immersion blender or by carefully transferring it to a conventional blender and blending it in batches. Always be careful when blending hot liquids.
- Return the soup to the pot. Stir in the vegan heavy cream. Place the soup back over medium heat for a minute or to to bring the temperature up if the cream has cooled it down too much. Remove the pot from heat when it's done.
- Stir in the basil and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
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