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.
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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!
I don’t usually care for tomato soup, but wanted to give this a shot. It’s unbelievable! Always one of my favorite blogs to try recipes from. 10/10, will be making this soup again!
It’s so awesome you gave the soup a try and loved it! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
Can I use fresh tomatoes? Do need to be cooked first? Thank you!
I believe you could though I haven’t tried it. About 4 cups of chopped tomatoes should do it, so maybe 4-6 cooked and peeled tomatoes depending on the size. Hope that helps!
I honestly thought this was going to be too plain to be tasty but I made it today with grilled “cheese” and it was amazing. It got rave reviews around the table.
As a note, I doubled the cashews and simmered them with the tomatoes and broth to soften them up. And added a fee basil leaves to the blender. (Like 5 or 6)
Thanks for sharing your great feedback and ideas! I’m glad the soup was a hit!
This is absolutely my favorite tomato soup recipe & is on the menu tonight (Muir crushed tomatoes with basil work great). BTW made your stuffing recipe last week and it was wonderful too!
Hi! Can you make this in a crock pot? If so how long?
Yes, it should work well in a slow cooker. Saute the onion as normal, then add it and the rest of the ingredients (except the cashews, sugar, and salt) to a slow cooker. Cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours. Afterward, blend the raw cashews, then the cooked soup. Add salt to taste, and stir in a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity.
This made my 6 year old so happy! And the rest of the family loved it too. Win, win!
This is just what a weary soul needs after a hard day. It is so simple yet tastes decadent. I have made other tomato soups from scratch, and this recipe is by far the most flavorful.
Thank you for this comforting, easy, and delicious recipe. It is going to be my go-to for tomato soup!
Hi Laura. I just love your kind, positive, and comforting words! Thank you for sharing this wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you enjoy the soup!
We love tomato soup! Adding this to my list of favorites. I usually use coconut milk but I love the cashews. Super easy to make. Thank you!
You are welcome! I’m thrilled you loved the soup! I love this with a grilled cheese sandwich! Thanks for your sharing your great feedback!
This is a family favorite – it has replaced my old “go to” tomato soup recipe! It’s fan-freaking-tastic. Be sure the blend it up really thoroughly in the Vitamix so you don’t have any tiny cashew “grit.” When it’s really smooth, it’s really good!
Love your recipes! Love the organization of the website. thank you!
Hi Nancy. Thank you for your positive feedback about my website! It’s really good to know that you find it organized! I’m also thrilled that you are loving my recipes!
Not a soup person usually, but was craving some tomato soup! This recipe is excellent and creamy, and you can’t tell theres no dairy! Easy to make and overall delicious.
Hi Alena. This is one of my favorite soups! I’m so thrilled you loved it! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback!
OMG where has this been all my life? The most DELICIOUS tomato soup ever!! So easy to make and so so creamy!!! Absolutely obsessed!!! Thank you for another perfect recipe!!!
Wow, thank you so much, Lara! And thanks for your review and feedback 🙂
Soooooo good! Never ever buying it at the store again! This recipe is so easy!
I’m so glad you love this soup! It is one of my favorites, and I love how easy it is as well! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Making this (again) for dinner along with vegan mozzarella grilled cheese tonight! This recipe is so easy and quick AND so delicious – love it!
One of my favorite meals! I’m so glad you are enjoying the soup! Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
One of the BEST tomato soup recipes out there. I left out the cashews this time around & we didn’t miss a thing. I love how easy & delicious this is.
Hi Megan. Thank you for your wonderful feedback and review! Happy cooking!
Can I sub roasted unsalted cashews for raw, or would it be better to use coconut milk?
Yes, roasted unsalted cashews can be used instead of raw.
So good! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome! So glad you love the soup, Jenny!
Absolutely incredible. So creamy you’d never know it was dairy free!
Thank you for sharing your great review and feedback! I’m glad you love the soup!
I don’t even know how many times I’ve made this–it’s so good!
I’m so glad you love soup! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
I love tomato soup but was always scared that it wouldn’t come out yummy. This recipe is super easy and the soup is delicious! I will be making this soup very often.
Hi Christine! Thank you for your great feedback! I’m glad you loved the soup! It’s so perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich! Happy cooking!
Excelllent!
I made this last night and oh boy was it delish! I added unsweetened almond milk and pepper and it turned out amazing. Thank you for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Sherine! I really appreciate you sharing your review and feedback!
It’s evident you’re an excellent cook. Your blog is one I count on for good quality food recipes. We liked this tomato soup a lot. I must tell you we had many tomatoes last year. Near the end before we had to leave, I took whole tomatoes and put them whole into bags in my freezer. I used 8 to grate and put in the pot tonight. I used unsweetened almond milk and about 2 T. of my dried basil. My immersion blender made it really smooth. Thank you, Nora, for all your fine efforts in the food world.
Hi Becky. Thank you very much for your heartfelt, kind, and encouraging words! They mean so much! I am thrilled you loved the soup, and that you are enjoying my recipes! I sure loving creating them! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi Nora, I made this soup today and it’s delicious! It can’t believe how flavorful and creamy it is, just with a few pantry staples. This will definitely go on my weekly meal rotation. Thank you so much! Your recipes are amazing.
Hi Suzanne. Thank you for using my recipes! I’m so glad you are enjoying them! Thank you for sharing your feedback on the soup! I’m glad you love it! It’s one my faves! Wishing you happy cooking!
This has been a staple in our home for a few months now. It’s SO easy and tasty – you’d be surprised by how much flavor there is when you first glance at the ingredient list. I had to start doubling the recipe because we never had leftovers!
What can you use instead of nuts?
Hi Melissa. Here is the info from the recipe notes: 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. Hope this helps! Happy cooking!
I love this soup and that it is quick and easy to make. Thank you. ?
Thank you for sharing your fantastic review! I’m glad you love the soup! It’s one of my favorites!