Learn how to make the BEST Vegan Tomato Soup ever! Silky smooth, dairy free but creamy and made with simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now.
One of my kid’s favorite dinners is grilled (vegan) cheese and tomato soup. I make a batch of Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella for the “cheese” and pair it with an easy homemade tomato soup.
I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for quite some time and am finally getting it out there. I hope you love this easy, creamy soup as much as my family does!
How to make Easy Vegan Tomato Soup
(The full ingredient list and instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom, this is an overview)
- In a large pot, saute a chopped onion in a little olive oil or water.
- Add a can of crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- To a high powered blender, add some raw cashews.
- Add all the soup on top of the nuts. It should all fit unless your blender is small or you double the recipe.
- Blend!
- Transfer the soup back to the pot, add salt and sugar (just a teaspoon to cut the acidity) to taste.
Special Tips & Substitutions
- Nut Free: You can make this without nuts, though using cashews makes for the best results, in my opinion. To make nut free, stir in about 1/2 cup of coconut milk. You could also use soy or hemp milk. Make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored.
- No Blender? No problem. Just use one of the nut free options and an immersion blender instead. You could even skip blending altogether if you want texture, especially if you use crushed tomatoes.
- For Tomato Basil soup, add about 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves to the blender and blend along with the rest of the soup. Yum!
- I love Muir Glen brand canned tomatoes. You really want to use quality canned tomatoes for tomato soup, not the cheapest versions if possible. San Marzano tomatoes are also a great choice.
More creamy vegan soups
- Vegan Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Vegan Potato Soup
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Vegan Tomato Soup
Easy Vegan Tomato Soup
Learn how to make the BEST Vegan Tomato Soup ever! Silky smooth, dairy free but creamy and made with simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or water for oil free)
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional to cut the acidity
Instructions
- In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil (or water) for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, until soft and translucent.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- To a high powered blender, add the raw cashews. Now carefully transfer the soup to the blender as well (unless you double the recipe, it should all fit). Use a towel to protect yourself from any splatters, and blend until very smooth.
- Return the blended soup to the pot and taste. Add salt to taste, and stir in a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity a little bit. Serve with salad, croutons, a loaf of bread, or dip vegan grilled cheese into it! Enjoy.
Notes
- Nut Free: Instead of cashews, simply stir in a little coconut milk from a can (1/2 cup) or even soy, hemp or oat that is unsweetened. You can also make it without any "cream" added.
- No Blender: Use one of the nut free options from above, and use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot. It won't be as silky smooth this way, but it will still be good.
- For Tomato Basil soup, add about 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves to the blender and blend along with the other ingredients.
- For the best tomato soup, use quality canned tomatoes, not the cheapest generic version unless you have to! I use crushed, but you can also use whole canned tomatoes, or even diced.
- Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for 4 days. It freezes very well.
- Instant Pot: To make this in an Instant Pot, first saute the onion in the inner pot, then add the tomatoes and broth. Seal and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Continue with blending, and adding salt/sugar to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1026mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 677IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
My favourite of your soup recipes, I’ve been making it weekly and its delicious every time. I’m actually obsessed with it!
I’ve been scared to make tomato soup from scratch, but this has made me think I can conquer the world. I had a bell pepper in the fridge that I decided to sautee and add to the blender with the rest of the ingredients. I love the depth of flavor it adds. We’ve eaten this tomato soup at least 3 times in the last 2 months. Yum!!
This was wonderful! Even my picky son loved it! I added some basil. I didn’t want to dump it into my blender because I had made a double batch, so I blended the cashews with about a cup of the broth in my Vitamix, dumped it in, and then blended the rest with my hand wand. Will be adding this to our rotation, along with grilled cheese!
Hi Jennifer. I’m so glad that you tried the tomato soup and that you loved it! It is one of my favorites! I appreciate your terrific review and feedback. I’m thrilled this will be part of your meal rotation. Wishing you happy cooking!
I’ve made this soup probably 30 times. If someone I know is sick, they get a giant Mason jar full. I always add fresh basil to the pot and it adds an extra kick. Thank you for something so simple. I just cut an onion and I have the best comfort food!
Hi Kaylynn. It sounds like you are the bearer of kindness and comfort! I love your idea of filling a giant mason jar full of soup! Thank you for sharing this with us as well as you are glowing review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I decided to try a soup that I could use my garden tomatoes in. This is absolutely delicious! This is now on the family dinner list !!! My only suggestion is “make a double batch!”
Hi Clara. Oh, I agree a double batch is a great idea! I absolutely love this soup, and I’m thrilled that you loved it as well! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I used home garden tomatoes, great way to use up a bunch. Simple and tasty.
Hi Denette. Thanks for sharing your terrific review! How fabulous to have homegrown tomatoes for the soup! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
What brand veg broth do you use?
It varies, but I often use Better than Bouillon vegetable or no-chicken base mixed with water to make broth.
We made this recipe several times to use up large quantities of tomatoes from the garden. It’s one of the best tomato soups I’ve had, vegan or not! One question. Is it possible to swap the cane sugar for something like date sugar or maple syrup? Would that work the same? Thanks for a lovely recipe!
Hi Kelly. I’m so glad you are loving the soup! It is one of my favorites! Yes, either one of the options you mentioned should work just fine! Thank you for your glowing review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
So so good!!! Was craving tomato soup but didn’t have any cream so was happy to find some cashews in my fridge. Honestly, I may just use cashews from now on! Thank you!!
SO GOOD. Soaked the cashews for 5 hrs beforehand and I’ve never had such a delicious tomato soup. Thank you!!
You are welcome, Ingrid! I absolutely love this tomato soup as well! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and your glowing review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Feeling sick today, and anything too spiced makes me nauseous. This was perfect and delicious!
Will make again.
Hi Jen. I hope you are feeling better soon! I agree this is a warm and comforting soup! I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for taking time to share your stellar review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Sis, this is a winner! I wanted to make tomato soup but didn’t have heavy cream. I did a search on google and this popped up. I had all of the ingredients and thought I would give it a go. Winner! Bonus is that it taste like the heavy cream is in it but it is not. Therefore, lower calories!! Thanks.
You bet, Janet! This soup is one of my favorites! I’m so glad you loved it as well! Thanks for your awesome feedback!
Starting to catch a cold and it’s raining in Southern California, so this seemed to be the perfect remedy. I followed the recipe exactly as written, was amazed at how creamy it was. Very delicious. Will keep this in my vegan recipe favorites. Lauren
Hi Lauren. You picked a wonderful recipe! This is one of my favorites! I do hope you are feeling better quickly! Thanks for taking time to share your awesome feedback! Happy cooking!
I love this recipe!
Nora, if I have a container of cashew cream in the frig, how much would I need to add to replace the 1/2 cup cashews listed in the recipe?
I’d say about 1/2 cup, but you can just add cream to taste, it’s flexible. Enjoy!
Really loved this. Will make again!
This soup was easy to make and a delight to eat! Because I made this for my spouse after they had their wisdom-teeth extracted, I strained it after blending to ensure it was super smooth. Thank you for such a great recipe!
So tasty, heallthy, quick to make, afordable- and yet you could serve at a dinner party. Thx for the recipe. My vegans and nonvegans love it.
You bet, Jolene! I’m so glad you are loving the soup! I love how quick, easy, and delicious this soup is as well! Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking to you!
Nora another 10+++++ recipe! I had a sweet onion and fresh basil to use up and came across your vegan tomato soup recipe. So easy and quick to throw together. Your recipes never disappoint!
Hi David. One of my favorite recipes for all the reasons you mention! Thanks for your encouraging words, along with your stellar review! I’m thrilled that you loved the soup recipe! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
We absolutely loved this soup. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
You bet, Tiffany! I totally love this soup as well – with a grilled cheese sandwich! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback! Happy cooking!
This is delicious and so comforting. It reminds me of this wonderful tomato bisque I used to love before I went vegan. I never thought I would have it again. Thank you Nora for a fantastic and super easy recipe! I will definitely be making this again.
Hi Ellie. I feel the same about this soup! I am thrilled that you loved it! I appreciate your wonderful review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Do you think I could add a can of chickpeas instead of the nuts for creaminess?
Sure!
Absolutely delicious! Quick and easy and so warming, I’ve bookmarked this recipe – I think I’ll be making it a lot!
Loved it
So easy & SO delicious. I added 2 chopped fresh tomatoes because I wanted to use them up & a few
Sprigs of fresh basil & parsley from my garden. It was heavenly.
Hands down one of my favorite soups! I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing your cooking experience and awesome review! Happy fall cooking!