There’s nothing better on a chilly day than a bowl of this creamy vegan tomato soup and a grilled cheese for dipping. This flavor-packed vegan soup recipe is super simple to make with fresh tomatoes, basil, and coconut milk.
Post originally published January 2021; updated April 2024.
It’s winter, there’s snow on the ground… it’s time to cozy up to some cold weather favorites like this creamy vegan tomato soup. Is there anything more cozy than a bowl of steaming tomato soup with a side of grilled cheese?
The reason this is the BEST vegan tomato soup is that the fresh tomatoes, onion, and garlic get roasted together in the oven at high heat to enhance the flavor and allow them to caramelize. That caramelization brings out natural sweetness in all the veggies and helps tame the acidity of the tomatoes. After roasting, everything gets blended up with some coconut milk for a creamy tomato soup you would never guess is vegan!
This tomato soup is just one of several lunch-friendly soups on the blog like this butternut squash and red pepper soup and this vegan black bean soup.
Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup Ingredients
- Roma tomatoes: fresh oven roasted tomatoes add so much more flavor to this vegan tomato basil soup recipe! Since the tomatoes get cooked, you don’t have to use peak summer-ripe tomatoes either for good results. Even the paler winter tomatoes from the store will work well. We typically use Roma tomatoes since they are the most budget-friendly and easy to find no matter the season- but any variety of tomato can be used.
- Onion and garlic: both of these get caramelized as they roast for a milder, sweeter flavor that balances out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Italian Seasoning: we like the combo of using both dried and fresh herbs in this vegan tomato soup with fresh tomatoes. A sprinkle of Italian seasoning on the veggies before roasting infuses the soup with more flavor.
- Vegetable Broth: there aren’t many ingredients in this soup, so use a higher quality vegetable broth (we like this better than bouillon one) or a homemade veggie broth.
- Tomato Paste: add some extra richness to the soup.
- Balsamic Vinegar: balances out some of the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Canned Coconut Milk: adds creaminess without dairy. Use full fat coconut milk for an extra creamy soup. Although I can’t taste any coconut in the finished soup, you can substitute the coconut milk with cashew cream if you prefer.
- Fresh Basil: we love the extra flavor that comes from using fresh vs dried basil for this easy vegan soup recipe.
How to Make Vegan Tomato Soup
Roast the Tomatoes, Garlic & Onion: Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the top ~1/2″ off of the head of garlic to expose all of the cloves. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic clove to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast on the top rack of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the onions have browned edges.
Blend: Remove the garlic from the baking sheet and transfer the roasted tomato mixture into a high-speed blender with a venting lid. Squeeze the garlic over the blender. Add in the vegetable broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. Blend on high for 45-60 seconds until smooth.
Reheat and Serve: Transfer the soup to a large pot over medium heat, then add in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Reheat on the stovetop for a few minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. To serve, garnish with a few basil leaves and olive oil.
Storage
Fridge: store any leftover vegetarian tomato soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Can you freeze tomato soup? Yes! This roasted tomato vegan soup freezes well! Add individual servings to freezer containers and store for up to 3 minutes. Defrost in the microwave (using the defrost setting) or add to a saucepan to reheat over the stove.
Looking for even more healthy vegan soup recipes developed by a plant-based dietitian? Be sure to check out my roundup of 15+ healthy vegan soup recipes!
What to Serve with Vegan Tomato Soup
- Topping Options: take your soup from good to great with extra toppings like crackers, croutons, or a dollop of vegan pesto.
- Grilled cheese: nothing more classic than tomato soup and grilled cheese. Since going vegan, I use ingredients to assemble THE BEST plant-based grilled cheese: Miyokos butter on the bread for grilling, VioLife vegan shredded mozzarella for the cheese, and a couple dollops of Gotham Greens vegan pesto.
- Ravioli: make this roasted tomato soup in more of a meal and toss in some cooked ravioli to serve. For a plant-based and dairy free ravioli option, I really like Kite Hill’s spinach ravioli.
Recipe FAQs
It’s not necessary – but if you want a very creamy soup, you may want to blanch and peel your tomatoes first. For this creamy tomato soup, the peel softens when you roast the tomatoes and the blender does a good job of pureeing the peels so you won’t notice them.
For the best flavor, we recommend using fresh roma or plum tomatoes for this homemade tomato soup recipe. Garden ripe is optimal, but roasting helps bring out the flavor of less than ideal grocery store tomatoes in mid-winter.
To give your homemade or canned tomato soup more flavor – add in some fresh or dried herbs (like rosemary, basil, chives, parsley, or oregano), stir in some melted butter or cream, add some grated cheese, or top with a dollop of pesto.
Typically – no. Most homemade tomato soup recipes or canned tomato soup from the grocery store contains dairy since heavy cream or milk is a common ingredient.
More Creamy Vegan Soup Recipes
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Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs roma tomatoes
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 head garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the top ~1/2″ off of the head of garlic to expose all of the cloves.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic clove to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
- Roast on the top rack of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until the onions have browned edges.
- Remove the garlic from the baking sheet and transfer the roasted tomato mixture into a blender with a venting lid. Squeeze the garlic over the blender. Add in the vegetable broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. Blend on high for 45-60 seconds until smooth.
- Transfer the soup to a large pot over medium heat, then add in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Reheat on the stovetop for a few minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. To serve, garnish with a few basil leaves and olive oil.
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