Creamy Vegan Tomato Bisque (With Canned Tomatoes)
Vegan Tomato Bisque on a cold winter’s day? There’s nothing better. Rich and creamy, this tomato basil soup recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients and ready to warm you from the inside out in just about 30 minutes. The perfect lunch or cozy family meal for the dinner table.
Low in calories and rich in vitamins and antioxidants, this creamy tomato soup packs a mean nutritional punch that, amongst other purported health benefits, promotes healthy skin and vision and helps reduce risk factors for heart disease. Serve with some vegan cheese croutons and a side of crusty vegan garlic bread or fluffy vegan biscuits and enjoy the rich taste on any chilly night.
🍅 Vegan Tomato Bisque Ingredients (With Substitutions)
- Olive Oil – loaded with beneficial health benefits, olive oil is best in vegan recipes and adds a peppery, buttery and faintly spicy flavor to the soup.
- Yellow Onion – their strong, complex flavor make this the best vegan tomato soup ever. If unavailable, you can use any onions you have on hand.
- Garlic – minced garlic is a must for this recipe and when simmered or roasted, adds a sweet buttery flavor to the soup. If you don’t have fresh, go ahead and substitute with a teaspoon of garlic powder, or more, according to your taste.
- Carrots – these earthy root vegetables add a boatload of nutrition and are always in season. You can use orange carrots or, if you prefer a touch of color, rainbow carrots.
- Crushed Tomatoes – for best results, I use San Marzano crushed tomatoes. You can also use whole peeled tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, if you’d like. If using canned whole tomatoes, simply squish them into the pot with your hand.
- Basil – dried basil is added to the soup base and fresh basil is used as a garnish. Both add a hint of sweetness to the soup while balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. You can also use other fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or sage.
- Red Pepper Flakes – dried red pepper flakes give the soup a little heat, which is absolutely divine.
- Vegetable Stock – I prefer organic, low sodium vegetable broth, or you can make your own by placing filtered water, seasonings, carrots, potatoes, onions and any other vegetables you have on hand in a pressure cooker for 8 minutes. Once ready, simply strain the vegetables from the broth and you have homemade veggie broth.
- Coconut Milk – full-fat coconut milk works best for the richest flavor; however, you can also use light coconut milk, vegan heavy cream, or even almond milk as substitutes.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – gotta love these basic flavor enhancers! You may substitute with Kosher salt and white pepper, if you prefer.
Exact ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
🍲 How to Make Vegan Tomato Soup
Learn how to make this delicious soup by following the basic steps outlined below:
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over low to medium heat, sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in olive oil for about 5-10 minutes, or until they start to soften.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Increase heat. Bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
3. Pour soup into blender and blend to your desired consistency. You may need to blend in batches if using a high speed blender. You can also use an immersion blender, if you have one.
4. Place back in the pot on low heat. Stir in coconut milk, sea salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer just until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with fresh basil, vegan Parmesan cheese and a swirl of coconut milk. Enjoy!
👩🏿🍳 Expert Tips
- Be sure to use quality canned tomatoes when making this easy tomato soup recipe. I love using San Marzano tomatoes, but remember, not all San Marzano tomatoes are authentic. To be sure, look for the official Italian DOP seal and the seal of the San Marzano consortium on the label.
- You can make this soup creamier by adding more coconut milk and blending longer. Conversely, you can leave it chunky by blending very little, or not at all.
- For roasted tomato soup using fresh tomatoes, placed halved tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and roast at 375F/177C for 30-45 minutes. Once out of the oven, follow the instructions using the roasted tomatoes instead of canned.
If you love creamy soups, try my Vegan White Bean Chili with 3 amazing secret ingredients!
🍥 Traditional Blender or Immersion Blender?
There are two types of blenders you can use for this recipe: a traditional blender or an immersion blender. An immersion blender is easier, as all you have to do is stick the device into the pot and blend the soup right there without having to transfer it from the pot to the blender and back to the pot again. However, if you don’t have one, a traditional blender works just fine. You can also use a food processor.
If you love using your immersion blender, try making my Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Although you can make it with water, this vegan tomato soup is so much better with a cream base. My recipe calls for coconut milk to garner the creamiest and richest texture.
Once brought to a boil and simmered for 20 minutes, you’ll blend the soup in a traditional blender or with an immersion blender. After ensuring it’s still warm, it’s ready to be served.
You don’t need a Dutch Oven for this soup, but you want to avoid copper, cast iron or aluminum pots as they may cause the soup to taste metallic. If you don’t have a Dutch Oven, use a stainless steel, enamel coated cast iron, or ceramic pot.
🍞 Serving Suggestions
You can serve this tomato soup as an appetizer before a delicious vegan main dish (think Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, Vegan Lentil Loaf or Vegan Mushroom Wellington), or pair it with one of the following:
- Vegan grilled cheese and sweet potato fries (both coming soon).
- Swirled vegan garlic bread and a massaged kale salad.
- Vegan focaccia with asparagus and onions.
- Garlic vegan naan.
🌡️ Storage and Freezing
Vegan Tomato Bisque stores beautifully in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
My homemade tomato soup recipe is also freezer-friendly, and, when placed in freezer-safe containers, can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, simply place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and reheat in microwave or stovetop.
🥘 More Amazing Soup Recipes
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
Creamy Vegan Tomato Bisque Recipe
Equipment
- Immersion Blender optional
- Blender optional
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 medium onions chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 84 oz crushed tomatoes 3-28 0z cans
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1.5 cups coconut milk full-fat is best
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over low to medium heat, sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in olive oil for about 5-10 minutes, or until they start to soften.
- Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Increase heat. Bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Add to blender and blend to your desired consistency. You may need to blend in batches if using a high speed blender. You can also use an immersion blender, if you have one.
- Place back in the pot on low heat. Stir in coconut milk, sea salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with fresh herbs and a swirl of coconut milk. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use quality canned tomatoes when making this easy vegan tomato soup recipe. I love using San Marzano tomatoes, but remember, not all San Marzano tomatoes are authentic. To be sure, look for the official Italian DOP seal and the seal of the San Marzano consortium on the label.
- You can make this soup creamier by adding more coconut milk and blending longer. Conversely, you can leave it chunky by blending very little, or not at all.
- For roasted tomato soup using fresh tomatoes, placed halved tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and roast at 375F/177C for 30-45 minutes. Once out of the oven, follow the instructions using the roasted tomatoes instead of canned.
Oh wow – I love tomato bisque and this recipe was fantastic! I made this for my family with some toasted sour dough and it was one of the best dinners we’ve had in a while!
It isa hearty meal. Thank you DK.
There is no coconut milk in the ingredients. How much do you suggest and what would be an alternative? Thanks.
Ooops, sorry about that Claire. I fixed it. It should be 1.5 cups of coconut milk. As an alternative, I believe I state in the tips you can use vegan heavy cream, if you can find it, or just your favorite plant milk. Hope that helps and thanks for pointing that out to me.
This must be one of my favorite soups, I love this recipe of creamy tomato soup, the combination of spices is absolutely amazing. Thank you for the recipe
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you Marina.
This is a lovely vegan tomato soup. I decided to use roast tomatoes as per your suggestion. It was supe good!
Yes, I have done the tomatoes both ways. I love roasting the tomatoes, too. Thanks Jacqueline.
This recipe for tomato soup is awesome….I made it last night and we just enjoyed it for lunch…perfect for meal prep.
Thanks so much Debra. Glad you loved it.
No more canned tomato soup for me! This recipe made a delicious soup with the pepper flakes for a bit of heat and the basil for a bit of spice. I’ll try it next time with the coconut milk.
I agree with you, thank you Stephanie.