Vegan Cream of Tomato Soup 🍅 A deliciously rich, velvety smooth and creamy tomato soup made with all plant-based, dairy-free ingredients including tomatoes, fresh carrots, celery, herbs, vegetable broth and cashew cream.
There's something truly soul-soothing about a bowl of this homemade vegan cream of tomato soup that makes it an absolute must-try. The rich aroma of tomatoes, garlic, onions, and herbs slowly simmering away in a pot will make your kitchen smell amazing. The velvety texture and rich taste make it a perfect companion for a chilly day or whenever you crave a taste of nostalgia.
A lot of us grew up with canned soups, like Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and their condensed tomato soup (which unfortunately contains dairy), as does the popular creamy tomato soup made by Panera Bread. If you haven't ever tried homemade cream of tomato soup, you are in for a big treat. Not only does it taste so much better than packaged soups, this recipe is also 100% plant-based and dairy-free. How delicious is that?
Table of Contents
Cream of tomato soup has been a tradition in my family for decades. In fact we love it so much, a tureen filled with homemade vegan cream of tomato soup is the centerpiece on our Thanksgiving table every year. It's perfect served along side homemade stuffing, green bean casserole, and herbed tofu slices.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's incredibly delicious
- 100% vegan and dairy-free
- Uses basic ingredients
- So smooth and creamy
- Easy to prepare.
🍅 INGREDIENT NOTES
🥕See the printable recipe card below for quantities & details
Cashew Cream
- Non-dairy milk - Your choice. We used almond milk.
- Raw cashews - (pre-soak before using, see instructions below).
Tomato Soup Base
- Olive Oil - may be substituted with any light cooking oil or melted vegan butter (See FAQ's below for tips on preparing an oil-free version).
- Onion - fresh yellow or brown onion preferred, but may be substituted with onion powder if necessary.
- Garlic - fresh is best, but may be substituted with garlic powder.
- Carrots - fresh or frozen.
- Celery
- Vegetable broth - or vegan bouillon combined with 4 cups water.
- Tomatoes - canned whole or crushed tomatoes (peeled). We used canned Roma tomatoes.
- Tomato paste - adds a rich tomato flavor to the soup.
- Brown Sugar - adds a subtle sweetness that helps offset the acidity of tomatoes. May be substituted with white sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup, or vegan honey
- Cloves - ground cloves
- Red Pepper Flakes - adds a mild touch of spicy heat to the soup but may be omitted if preferred
- Basil - fresh basil provides great flavor to this soup. If you don't have fresh basil, I suggest using 1 teaspoon of dried sweet basil instead.
- Pepper - adjust to taste
- Salt
🍅 INSTRUCTIONS
Step One - Cashew Cream
Cashew cream is the secret sauce that adds to the luscious, rich, and smooth texture in this fabulous dairy-free soup.
- Pre-soak the cashews in boiling hot water in a bowl for 1-½ hours or in a saucepan on a stovetop and boil in water until soft (10-15 minutes).
2. Drain the cashews. Place into a blender.
3. Add the dairy-free milk and pulse on high speed until it becomes a thick, smooth, pourable consistency.
4. Transfer the cashew cream to a bowl or measuring cup. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step Two - Tomato Soup Base
🥕Cookware Tip: I use both stainless steel and cast iron cookware, and while I love using my enameled cast iron Dutch ovens (like the one below), I will warn you - they weigh a LOT, which can be tricky to handle when filled with hot soup. For big batches of soup, I prefer to use a stainless steel soup/stock pot.
5. Pour olive oil into a large soup/stock pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic.
6. Sauté (cook) until soft and translucent. Stir occasionally so the onion and garlic doesn't burn.
7. Add carrots, celery, and broth.
8. Increase heat to bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, until a knife can be inserted into vegetables.
9. Add whole tomatoes, tomato paste, and all herbs and spices.
10. Let soup simmer for about 5 minutes.
11. This next step will need to be done in two to three batches. Carefully pour some of the tomato soup mixture and cashew cream into the blender.
12. Pulse until the soup is smooth. Repeat until all the soup and cashew cream is combined.
🥕NOTE: Instead of a standard blender, you can also use an immersion blender. Skip steps #11 & 12. Pour all the cashew cream into the pot with the soup and blend until smooth. This method may take longer to achieve a creamy consistency.
13. Transfer each batch back into the soup pot. Stir well to completely combine. The finished soup should be smooth, thick, and creamy.
🥕 Serving Tip - Top with a drizzle of plain vegan yogurt or cashew cream, chopped parsley, croutons, a sprinkle of ground nutmeg, or grated vegan parmesan. Enjoy!
🍅 EQUIPMENT
Here are the tools we use to prepare this vegan cream of tomato soup
- Large soup or stock pot
- Saucepan (for boiling cashews)
- Blender (or an immersion blender)
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Long spoon for stirring
- Kitchen knife
Love soup? Here are more of our favorite vegan soup recipes you might enjoy!
If you love this recipe ★★★★★ please be sure to rate it below! Sharing your experience lets me know that you enjoyed it and will help other readers decide if they should give the recipe a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Cream of Tomato Soup (vegan)
Equipment
- Large soup or stock pot
- Saucepan (for boiling cashews)
- Long spoon for stirring
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup Cashews raw
- 1 cup Non-dairy milk
Tomato Soup
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves chopped
- 2 large Carrots quartered
- 4 stalks Celery quartered
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 7 cups Tomatoes two 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
- 1 can Tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 pinch Ground Cloves
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ cup Fresh Basil chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Salt
Instructions
Cashew Cream
- Place the cashews in a sauce pan. Cover cashews with water and heat on stove at a boil, until cashews swell and become soft.
- Drain the cashews. Place into a blender with vegan milk and pulse on high speed until it becomes a thick, smooth, pourable consistency.
- Transfer the cashew cream to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Tomato Soup
- Pour olive oil into a large soup/stock pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until soft and translucent. Stir occasionally so the onion and garlic doesn't burn.
- Add carrots, celery, and broth. Increase heat to bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, until a knife can be inserted into vegetables
- Add the two 28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes, tomato paste, and all herbs and spices. Let soup simmer for about 5 minutes.
- This next step will need to be done in two to three batches. Carefully pour some of the tomato soup mixture and cashew cream into the blender. Pulse until the soup is smooth. Repeat until all the soup and cashew cream is combined.
- Serve while hot. Top with a drizzle of cashew cream or vegan yogurt, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, or a handful of croutons. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
🍅 FAQ's
Can I use any type of tomatoes for vegan tomato soup?
Absolutely! While Roma tomatoes are popular for their rich flavor and low water content, you can experiment with any variety. Just adjust the seasoning accordingly to balance the flavors if you use canned tomatoes that are packaged with herbs.
Other than cashews, how can I make the soup creamier without using dairy?
Coconut milk or almond milk are excellent dairy-free options to add creaminess. You can also make a roux by heating equal amounts of vegan butter and flour in a pan, until it becomes a paste and then whisk it into the blended tomato mixture.
What's the secret to balancing the acidity in tomato soup?
We use a small amount of sugar to help balance the acidity of tomatoes. If you decide to use more than listed in this recipe, add it gradually and taste as you go to achieve the desired balance without making the soup overly sweet.
Can I freeze homemade vegan cream of tomato soup?
Yes, you can! Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container, like Souper Cubes. Leave some space for expansion, and it can be stored for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove.
How to make vegan cream of tomato soup without oil?
Follow the instructions in the recipe, but instead of using oil to sauté the onions and garlic, use two tablespoons of water or vegetable broth. Stir frequently to keep the garlic and onions for burning.
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Connie Edwards McGaughy says
You can feel so good Indulging in a bowl of this rich and delicious homemade cream of tomato soup. It's everything you want, without the dairy products!