Tomato Soup Recipe

This is our family’s favorite tomato soup. It’s rich, dairy-free, and uses pantry ingredients. This tomato soup is packed with flavor and has a velvety texture. It’s perfect for dipping a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

My husband doesn’t like pureed soups, but he always makes an exception for this creamy tomato soup. The Italian seasoning and coconut milk make this soup a delicious and comforting meal.

While I love making roasted tomato soup during the summer months when fresh tomatoes are in season, I prefer to use canned tomatoes. It’s easier and I always have them in my pantry so I can whip up a batch of this easy tomato soup whenever the craving hits. 

Tomato soup ingredients

Olive oil: Olive oil gives this soup good flavor. You can substitute with butter or ghee if you prefer.

Yellow onion, carrots, and celery: The combination of onions, carrots, and celery forms a classic mirepoix , which provides the essential flavor base of this soup.

Garlic: I use two garlic cloves. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can substitute with ½ teaspoon garlic powder. It will still taste great.

Fine sea salt: This helps bring out all the flavors in the soup. You can add more or less, depending on your taste preferences and how much sodium is in your vegetable broth.

Black pepper: I add a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, or to taste.

Dried oregano: This adds good flavor to the soup.

Dried basil: This adds good flavor to the soup. You can substitute with fresh basil leaves if you prefer. If using fresh basil, add it right before blending the soup.

Red pepper flakes: This adds a nice kick of heat to the soup. Leave it out if you’re sensitive to spice.

Canned tomatoes: I use canned San Marzano Italian tomatoes. They are less acidic than regular tomatoes and less watery, which makes this soup rich and creamy.

Vegetable broth: I use Better Than Boullion Seasoned Vegetable Base to make vegetable broth. Use 1 teaspoon per cup of water.

Bay leaf: This gives the soup good flavor.

Coconut milk: This makes the soup extra luxurious and creamy. You won’t be able to taste the coconut. I always keep a can of coconut milk in my pantry.

You can substitute with heavy whipping cream or half-and-half if you prefer. Choose a dairy-free cream to keep it vegan.

Maple syrup: This helps to offset the acidity of the tomatoes without using refined sugar. You can substitute with coconut sugar or brown sugar if you prefer.

Fresh basil: This is optional, but fresh basil takes this soup to the next level.

How to make homemade tomato soup

Sauté the veggies. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft (about 8-10 minutes).

Add the garlic and spices. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and partially cover with a lid. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Puree the soup until smooth. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup until smooth by using an immersion blender or transferring the soup in batches to a blender.

Add the coconut milk and maple syrup. Return the blended soup to the pot and stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer and season to taste with more salt or black pepper (if needed), then turn off the heat.

Garnish your soup and enjoy! Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with fresh chopped basil and a drizzle of coconut milk. Enjoy!

What to serve with tomato soup?

When you’re ready to serve your tomato soup, there are a few ways you can garnish it. I simply like to use fresh chopped basil and a drizzle of coconut milk.

Adding a few croutons or chopped cherry tomatoes on top would be nice too. Below are some more tasty side dishes or mains to serve with tomato soup:

• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Garlic bread, bread sticks, crusty bread
• Side salad (Green lettuce salad, Garden salad, Kale salad, Cesar salad)
• Chickpea salad, such as my Curried Chickpea Salad
• Quinoa salad, such as my Moroccan Quinoa Salad
• Pita chips
• Roasted vegetables
• Protein, such as grilled chicken breast, roast chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu or tempeh

Please let me know how you like this tomato soup recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this soup as much as I do.

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