Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup is ultra thick and creamy using cashews instead of coconut milk or heavy cream. It is Rich, Healthy, made with no broth and comes together in under 30 minutes!
Vegan Tomato Soup
BEST soup from scratch is Thick, Creamy, Cozy, Comforting but made without heavy cream or coconut milk (making it no dairy) yet so LUSCIOUS. This is a slightly modified version of our Instant Pot Tomato Soup.
Full of basil and a hint of garlic, this bisque will most likely be on you weekly rotation, no matter the season. I garnished with chopped cashews, torn basil and red pepper flakes for a hint of spice. Make ahead, serve immediately or freeze for later.
Cashews adds creaminess, thickness and makes it taste amazingly delicious!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE?
- Rich, creamy yet no cream - It is velvety consistency just like bisque but without any heavy cream, making it one the best dairy free recipe.
- Diet friendly - It's gluten free, dairy free, healthy, plant based and did we mention vegan?
- Ready in about 30 minutes - Making it quick and easy.
- No Stock - Many recipes are usually made with chicken or vegetable stock. This recipe is perfect when you are out of stock.
- Nutritious - Rich in lycopene, vitamins, minerals, skin health, fiber and antioxidants.
- Make ahead - Perfect stored in the refrigerator or frozen.
WHAT ARE READERS ARE SAYING - "Absolutely delicious! Made it just like the recipe except no fresh Basil. Soup didn’t need any other flavor. Definitely make again 5 stars!"
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOMATO SOUP AND BISQUE?
Tomato Bisque is super silky smooth version, but made with shell fish stock (like crab or shrimp) and heavy cream. Whereas Tomato soup is made with fresh or canned tomatoes as the primary ingredient uses chicken or vegetable broth instead.
WHAT BLENDERS TO USE?
You can use a good quality immersion blender or regular blender like Vitamix (immersion blender takes a while and might get messy with soup splashing out if the pot isn't big enough). If using Vitamix or other blenders, make sure that bisque is cooled down to warm before blending.
WHAT TOMATOES TO USE?
This soup is excellent with canned whole peeled variety. So, it is excellent recipe to make in all seasons, even when fruits are not at their prime.
CAN I USE DRIED BASIL?
Sure can! Use about 1 tablespoon of dried basil instead of fresh. I suggest adding dried basil when you add the vegetable and cashews to give them a chance to soften.
WHAT POTS TO USE?
We'd recommend a non-reactive pot like stainless steel or enamel coated cast iron, for tomato based recipes. Avoid metal pots like cast iron or copper that can react with tomatoes and make the soup taste metallic.
INGREDIENTS
This recipe has only 5 main ingredients and few additional seasonings-
- Tomatoes - Whole peeled canned variety (preferably, San Marzano).
- Cashews - Whole raw cashews.
- Aromatics - Onion, garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Seasoning - Red pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar and salt.
- Basil - Fresh basil leaves
PRO TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Blend until very smooth - Cashews might take a touch longer to blend well, so make sure to puree well for a silky smooth.
- We recommend a bigger pot if you are going to an immersion blender.
- Let the soup cool slightly before adding into a regular blender.
HOW TO GARNISH?
Soup can also be garnished with croutons, red pepper flakes, chopped basil, red pepper flakes or a swirl of coconut milk for a pretty finish.
HOW TO MAKE?
- Saute -Saute chopped onion and garlic in some olive oil, until onion turns golden.
- Simmer - Stir in canned veggie, raw cashews, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, sugar and water. Cover and cook in medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Blend - Remove pan from heat, and blend everything until smooth (using an immersion blender or a high powered blender) and stir in chopped fresh basil, Serve.
HOW TO SERVE?
- Grilled cheese - Hot grilled cheese sandwich (keep it vegan by using vegan cheese slices) is always a classic.
- We sometimes like it with a good crusty bread on the side for dipping.
- Delicious as an appetizer for any Chicken, Shrimp, Fish or Vegetarian main course.
Other accompaniment suggestions: Garlic bread, Garlic knots, Stuffed mushrooms, Parmesan bread bites, Crusty bread or Avocado dinner rolls.
HOW TO STORE?
Store cooled bisque in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave when required.
CAN THIS BE FROZEN?
Yes! It's perfect to make ahead and comes in handy for a busy weeknight. We like to freeze in single serve portions in quart size zip lock bags for up to 2 months. It thaws quick and perfect to serve one or two. Transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw.
Frequently asked questions:
Soup can be thickened using a variety of ingredients, like cornstarch mixed with water, blending stale bread along with the soup, ground nuts such as cashews or almonds, cooked vegetables such as carrot, cauliflower or potato or coconut milk.
One serving contains 243 calories.
Yes! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze up to two months.
You’ll need to make your own crushed ones which requires blanching and peeling. It can be a time-consuming process, so we find it much easier using canned variety.
Cashews are one of our families favorite snack. My husband can polish off an entire sheet tray of roasted cashews in a day! They are packed with plant based protein, fiber, heart healthy fats, antioxidants and so much more (refer more here).
More Recipes using Cashews:
- Roasted Cauliflower and Cashews
- Butter Shrimp
- Salt and Pepper Cashews
- Cashew Cookies
- Vegetarian Butter Chicken
- Thai Spicy Noodles
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Vegan Tomato Soup (with Cashews)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 and ¼ teaspoon salt divided (or as needed)
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less, depending on taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar I added 3 teaspoons
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Place a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat and add olive oil. When hot, add chopped onion, garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to turn golden (about 3 minutes).
- Add in tomatoes (along with all the juices), cashews, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, black pepper, remaining salt and sugar. Stir with a spoon, breaking the tomatoes lightly, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients, until very smooth OR transfer all ingredients into a blender (let cool soup cool for 5 minutes before transferring), blend until very smooth (be careful when blending hot liquid) and transfer mixture back into the pot.
- (Immersion blender takes a while and might get messy with soup splashing out if the pot isn’t big enough, so we recommend using a normal blender)
- Stir in chopped basil. Serve with toasted crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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Debi Laughlin
Absolutely delicious! Made it just like the recipe except no fresh Basil. Soup didn't need any other flavor. Definitely make again 5 stars!
Maria Doss
Hi Debi, Glad you loved the soup, Maria