This silky vegan tomato bisque is made with creamy coconut milk and seasoned with a touch of Old Bay. Easy to make and super comforting when topped with crispy croutons!
Sometimes I come up with what I think is a great idea for a recipe only to get all tripped up when it comes to execution.
In this case the idea was seafood bisque. I've never seen a vegan seafood bisque recipe, and people really love seafood bisque. I felt like I needed to veganize it.
But how? I mean, for one thing I have absolutely no clue what seafood bisque tastes like.
But seafood isn't the only thing people put into bisques! Tomato bisque is a thing, and it's generally not vegan. And I actually know what it's supposed to taste like! So I veganized good old tomato bisque, but seaseoned it up much like one might season seafood bisque. It was delicious!
Vegan Tomato Bisque Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Olive oil
- Sweet onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- White wine
- Flour
- Canned tomatoes
- Old bay seasoning
- Thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Vegetable broth
- Bay leaves
- White miso paste (optional!)
- Coconut milk
- Salt and pepper
- Chives (optional!)
How to Make Vegan Tomato Bisque
Start by heating up your olive oil in a large pot. Once it's hot, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sweat the veggies for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften up. Now add the garlic and cook everything for about a minute more. Pour in your white wine, bring it up to a simmer, and let it cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Now begin sprinkling in the flour, a bit at a time, stirring all the while so the flour evenly coates the veggies. Cook everything for about a minute.
Now stir in your tomatoes, Old Bay, thyme, cayenne pepper, broth, bay leaves and miso. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid reduces a bit.
Take the pot off of the burner. It's time to blend! Be sure to remove your bay leaves before blending.
I used an immersion blender, but you could also transfer it to a food processor or blender in batches. Always be super careful when blending hot liquids! Blend it until it's silky smooth, then stir in the coconut milk, and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
You can place it back on the burner to heat it back up if needed.
Ladle your soup into bowls. I topped mine with an extra swirl of coconut milk, some croutons, and fresh chives.
Dig in!
Vegan Tomato Bisque Tips & FAQ
- Can this soup be made gluten-free? Probably! Try subbing an all-purpose gluten-free blend for wheat flour.
- Does this soup taste like coconut? Not to me! The spices and acidity of the tomatoes disguise the flavor pretty well. Having said that, if you hate the taste of coconut, you may want to substitute a different non-dairy milk. Cashew or soy would be my choices.
- Leftover storage: leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days. I haven't tried freezing it, but I think it would hold up just fine!
- Where can I buy miso paste? Check you supermarket's international foods section, or an Asian market. If all else fails, buy it online.
- Is there a substitute for the miso paste? The miso adds some flavor, but you can leave it out if needed. You'll probably just need to season your soup with a little extra salt.
- Is there a way to reduce the sodium in this soup? Sure! Try using reduced sodium vegetable broth and tomatoes, and reducing or omitting the miso paste.
- Not all white wine is vegan. Check with Barnivore to ensure the brand you choose is!
- Looking for more creamy vegan soup recipes? Try my blackened cauliflower soup, cream of asparagus soup, or roasted butternut squash soup.
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Creamy Vegan Tomato Bisque
This silky vegan tomato bisque is made with creamy coconut milk and seasoned with a touch of Old Bay. Easy to make and super comforting when topped with crispy croutons!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups diced sweet onion
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 (14 ounce or 400 gram) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh chives, for serving
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook the veggies, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften up, about 10 minutes.
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Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the white wine and bring it to a simmer. Allow the wine to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
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Begin sprinkling in the flour, a bit a time, stirring after each addition to coat the veggies. Cook the flour and veggies for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Begin adding the broth, a bit at a time, stirring in each addition to blend it with the flour. Once all the broth has been added, stir in the tomatoes, Old Bay, thyme, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, and miso.
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Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, until slightly thickened and the veggies are soft.
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Remove the pot from heat. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend it in batches in a blender or food processor, then return it to the pot.
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Stir in the coconut milk and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat it on the stove if needed.
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Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with chives, and serve.
Made this tonight - love it! Easy with some zip to it. I was intrigued by the choice of Old Bay seasoning but it turned out really good. Another keeper!
I love this recipe.
Hi, if you have to make this the night before eating, does it reheat well? Love your recipes!
Thank you! Yes, it reheats great!
Made it tonight and ate it with some homemade sourdough toast. It was great!
We love this vegan tomato bisque recipe. It's delicious with salad and good bread. We have added it to our regular soup rotation. Would highly recommend.
Am you replace the can tomatoes by fresh one with same amount?
That should work, but you'll probably want to blanch and peel them first (try a method like this one: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/how-to-peel-tomatoes/). I'd also recommend using a variety with few seeds like San Marzano tomatoes. This will keep the soup from coming out overly watery.
So good! Paired with sourdough vegan grilled cheese (Parmesan crusted, aged cheddar and smoked Gouda) and orzo salad. It was. Perfect Fall lunch for our Sunday family get together.